The Captain and His Queen
by lynddsbeth
Summary: Regina protects Killian from her mother. They realize that they have more in common than they thought and start to fall for each other. Will they be able to forget their need for revenge? Or will life get in the way of their budding relationship?
1. Chapter 1

**hi there. welcome to my new hook x regina story :) **

* * *

Ruby Lucas stood in the hallway of Storybrooke's only hospital. She was talking to her friends Mary-Margaret and David.

"Should we drive him to the border or let someone come pick him up?" Mary asked.

Earlier, Dr. Whale told them that the stranger could leave the hospital. The three of them were trying to figure out the best way to get him out of town before he saw anything magical.

"Maybe we should let someone else come and get him. Isn't that the norm?" David suggested.

Snow turned to look at Ruby when she realized the girl was looking somewhere else.

"Ruby, what is it?"

She sniffed the air around them. "Regina. She's here."

Snow and David exchanged surprised looks. This was the first time Ruby had caught Regina's scent since she went into hiding.

"You don't think she is here for Belle, do you?" Snow asked.

Ruby shook her head and started walking. Snow and David followed her quickly. She stopped outside a newly-occupied room.

David read the patient's name off the chart on the door. "Killian Jones. What could she want with him?"

Ruby shrugged. "Let's see." She pulled the door open quickly.

The three of them stood in shock. Hook wasn't there. His handcuff was hanging on the side of the bed, but he and Regina were gone.

* * *

Regina tried to support Hook's weight against her own. She ignored his cries of pain as she carefully pushed him onto the couch. He lay across it and put his hand over his ribs. She turned to leave his side, but he grabbed her wrist.

"What do you want with me, Your Majesty? Has Cora sent you to kill me?"

Regina knelt down so she was at Hook's eye level. "No. I'm going to protect you from my mother and Rumple. You are safe here."

Hook glared at her. "I doubt that."

She smiled. "Well I guess it's a good thing you can't escape. At least not until your ribs heal."

He continued to glare at her as she stood up and disappeared into another room. He tried to pull himself into a sitting position. She reentered the room carrying a pitcher of her famous apple cider and two glasses. When she saw how much pain he was in, she put the tray down and rushed to help him up. He grunted his thanks as they finally got him to sit up. Regina nodded and handed him a glass of apple cider.

He reluctantly took a sip and nodded in appreciation. It was really good and something the pirate rarely had in his life. Though it was lacking his favorite drink. "What, no rum?"

She laughed. "Maybe later. You still have pain killers in your system."

"Rum is the best pain killer."

Regina rolled her eyes. "My mother is waiting for me at my vault. I will try to keep her there so she will not find you here. I'll be back soon to check on you, alright?"

Hook sighed. "Sure, love. Don't worry about me here."

Regina smiled at him. "You will be fine. It's just a few broken ribs, dear."

She disappeared. Her mother was sitting in the room she had spent the last few days in. She stood as her daughter appeared in front of her.

"So, did you see Henry?"

"Yes. He is with Snow and Charming." Regina lied. She knew that he was likely to be with them, but she hadn't checked. She had just grabbed Hook, but she didn't want her mother to know that.

"Hm. Rumple has left to find his son. He took Emma with him. Now is the perfect time to get your son back."

Regina nodded wearily.

"Let us go now, dear." Cora stood and moved towards the door.

"Perhaps you should blend in first." Regina created clothes for her mother and pointed at the small bathroom for her to change in.

Instead, her mother flicked her fingers and was instantly changed. She wore Regina's black slacks and black coat. Her hair was just past her shoulders now too. Regina shuddered at how similar she looked to her mother.

She started to leave the room before she realized Regina wasn't following her.

"We need a plan, Mother. The Charmings are an inconvience, but they will stop us from just marching in and taking him."

"So we just kill them both. It will be easier to win Henry without them and you can finally get rid of Snow. Isn't that what you have always wanted?"

Regina resisted the urge to slap the faked innocence off her mother's face. "No, Mother. I wanted happiness. But you took that from me, so I wanted revenge. And look where that has gotten me! My own son hates me. He will hate me more if I kill his precious grandparents, so no, I'm not just going to rip their hearts out if they get in the way."

Cora looked shocked at Regina's angry outburst, but she quickly schooled her features into an indifferent mask. "Daniel was not happiness, dear. He was in the way of you being Queen. Just like your feelings for this boy are in the way of you taking back this town."

Regina just looked angrier. "Why can't you just admit that you were jealous that I could love someone while you never could?"

The force of Cora's slap sent Regina to the floor. She lay there trying not to cry as she put a hand to her burning cheek. Cora forced her to stand up with her magic. She walked over to Regina and put her hand on her cheek. Regina flinched, but stood her ground.

"Stop acting like a child, Regina. It's time that you grow up. Your father isn't around to treat you like a baby anymore. He always held you back. But now, we can rule together." She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. Regina knew she should be used to the cold emptiness in her mother's eyes, but it still gave her shivers.

Regina stepped back and shook her head. "I told you I wouldn't start over with you, Mother. I can't. I'm trying to be better. You have to accept that."

She waved her hands and disappeared.

* * *

**i know this doesnt seem like regina would do that at this point in the season, but i think would she get angry if she thought her mother was a threat to henry. reviews are always welcome. thank you for reading! :) more will be posted soon**


	2. Chapter 2

**here is the next chapter! :) a lot happens in this chapter.**

* * *

Hook sat on the couch as he waited for Regina to return. Since he couldn't move, there was not much for him to do other than study Regina's house. It was certainly different from the palace she had lived in as the Evil Queen. It was lighter of course, but it seemed much happier. Hook assumed that it was because of the boy she adopted. There were pictures of him all around the room. It was clear that Regina cared deeply about her son. Hook understood how Cora's plan to turn Henry against her daughter would break her. Henry was all she had. Hook couldn't imagine how painful his rejection was to her.

He couldn't help but feel bad for the woman. He had betrayed her and because of that, her mother was tearing her life apart. Despite that, Regina seemed to actually be worried about him. He saw the upset look in her eyes when she noticed he was in pain. Hook wondered if she wasn't the same woman he had known briefly in the Enchanted Forest. When he met her, she was flirty, but cold and distant. He enjoyed their witty banter, but her lack of emotion was too familiar to him. She was a woman who lost much and she was desperate for revenge. The look he saw in her eyes was the same look he saw in his own. Hook wondered about her past. How had she gotten that way? He decided to ask her, seeing as she was holding him hostage for who knows how long.

He prepared a witty comment as he saw the purple smoke that meant she was coming. But as soon as he saw her, he swallowed his words. Tears ran down her face as she held her hand against her cheek. He wondered what had happened. She wiped her tears and walked over to him. He noticed that her cheek was red, as if she had been slapped. He felt angry for reasons he didn't completely understand.

"We have to go. My mother will probably come looking for me soon."

"What happened?"

She ignored his question. "Can you stand?"

"You are kidding, right?"

She ignored that, too. "Pull your legs off the couch and I can help you stand from there."

Hook reluctantly complied, though not without a lot of pain. She helped him up, being extremely careful not to hurt his ribs further. He groaned as she transported them to a new location. He looked around, but didn't remember having seen this place in town.

"Where are we?"

"A small cabin in the woods. We are just inside Storybrooke lines. Not many people know this place even exists. My mother will never find us here." She moved him over to the small bed.

With her help, he very carefully lowered himself onto the bed. She propped the pillows up behind him so he could still sit up. Hook used the close proximity to study her face. Without thinking, he tenderly touched her face where it was red. She tried to pull away, but he shook his head and she stopped moving. He cautiously rubbed her cheek. He waited for her to say something, but she didn't move.

"What happened?" Hook asked quietly.

Regina was silent for a moment, wondering if she should trust him. He had betrayed her once before. But judging by the honest look in his eyes, he seemed to care about her answer.

"She wants me to take Henry back. But I can't do that. He already hates me. The only thing I want is for Henry to be happy. Even if that means I can't be in his life anymore."

The pain in her eyes was clear as she finally made eye contact with Hook. She gave him a sad smile before removing his hand from her face. She watched as he laced their fingers together and squeezed her hand.

"He needs you in his life. Maybe he doesn't see that now, but he will. You just have to wait for him to figure that out. And your mother... you can't listen to her. She always has ulterior motives. Don't let her get into your head."

Regina laughed bitterly. "She already is in my head. She always has been. All I ever wanted was her love. And now she's here, telling me that she loves me. I want to believe her, but then I remember everything that she has done to me."

She continued to watch their hands. His thumb rubbed the back of her hand, pushing her to continue.

"I was afraid to love Henry. I was cold and distant and because of that, he thinks that I don't love him. But I do, more than anything. I can't let my mother hurt him."

The Captain put his hook under to chin to pull her face up, forcing her to make eye contact with him. "She won't touch him. I promise you that, love."

Regina smiled. "The pirate becomes the knight in shining armor."

"At your service, m'lady." He smiled as she laughed. "But I won't ride a steed. I'll sail to save a damsel in distress."

"Maybe someday, dear." She smiled at his look of fake horror.

"What did she do to you?" Killian asked. The somber mood returned as she looked at him.

"She killed my True Love. She ripped his heart out in front of me and then forced me to marry the King." She closed her eyes as she said this.

Killian was shocked. Earlier, he had thought about the familiarity he saw in her eyes. Now, he realized they have more in common than he thought.

Regina noticed that he wasn't answering, so she opened her eyes to see his expression. He was looking at her with something like understanding. This was not the reaction she had expected. She thought about his reason for being here in Storybrooke.

"Rumple took the heart of someone you loved, didn't he? That's why you want him dead."

Killian nodded. He looked at their hands, which were still intertwined. "Her name was Milah."

Regina got up and went to the other side of the bed. Hook watched her with a confused look. She smiled before sitting next to him and taking his hand again. "Tell me about her."

The pirate blinked. In the 300 years since Milah's death, he had never shared his memories of her with anyone. He had only ever told people about her death and why he wanted the crocodile dead. But yet, the comforting look in Regina's eyes made him want to share his precious stories for the first time.

"I met Milah at a bar. I was with my crew when she walked in. I couldn't take my eyes off her, so I invited her to join us. She certainly held her own. There was one time she drank me under the table. My men practically had to carry me back to the ship, but she proudly walked on her own. She wouldn't let me forget that for a long time."

Regina laughed as he lost himself in the memory. "She sounds exciting."

Killian nodded. "She loved adventure. That's why she made such a good pirate."

He sighed as his memories brought him back to the day she died. He looked at Regina again. "Tell me about your love."

"His name was Daniel. He was the stable boy for my father's estate. He had the most fantastic sense of humor and it was one of the many reasons I fell in love with him. We planned on getting married and having a huge family. We were going to own a horse ranch and teach our kids how to ride." A small smile graced her lips as she thought about the future they planned.

"But my mother was obsessed with increasing our family's status. To her, marrying Daniel would have been a step down. So she killed him. She always said 'love of weakness'." Regina looked away from him .

She sounded cold as she talked about his death, but Killian knew it was just a way for her to keep her emotions in check. He understood that feeling.

He squeezed her hand again and she looked at him and smiled. She sat up and faced him.

"Lay down for a moment."

Hook gave her a look before slowly obeying. She leaned over him and carefully placed her hands on his chest. He winced at the pressure of her hands on his broken ribs.

"Take a deep breath and close your eyes." Regina instructed as she focused on him.

"What are you doing?" He paused, but quickly followed her directions when she glared at him.

He felt magic running through his body. It felt so good, he had to force himself to stay awake. Regina took her hands away when she was done and it was all he could do not to grab her hands and put them back on his body. He opened his eyes and realized that his ribs felt like new. He grinned at her as she looked stunned.

"You look surprised. Don't tell me that was your first time doing that spell." He joked.

She shook her head and gave him a huge smile. "No, I've done restoration spells before. But this didn't just heal your ribs, Killian."

Regina laughed happily at his confused look. He stood up and walked over to the small mirror to study himself. His face was not bruised and cut up anymore. He turned to look at her again, unsure of why she was so excited for his face to have been healed again. She rolled her eyes before hopping off the bed and standing in front of him. She intertwined their hands together.

Their hands. Killian slowly looked down. His hook was gone. In its place was a perfectly normal hand, as it had been 300 years earlier. He squeezed her fingers with his hand to test it out and he found it quite to his liking. Killian let go of her to put his hands on her face as he studied her thrilled expression.

Regina watched him examine his hand happily before putting it on her face. His fingers stroked her cheek. Her breath caught in her chest as he stared into her eyes. He slowly leaned closer and kissed her softly. He pulled away to look at her again.

"Thank you."

Before she could react, he picked her up and swirled her around. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck so he wouldn't drop her.

"Killian! Put me down!" Regina said, half laughing and half serious.

He obeyed, but didn't let her go. His arms were wrapped around her as he began to sway them. His excitement had yet to wear off, so he couldn't stand still. Regina moved her hands so they were wrapped around his waist. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. It was silent for a few moments before Regina spoke up.

"We should just leave. Take your ship and sail away and never return."

Killian sighed. "I wish we could, love."

"But I can't leave the town to deal with my mother. I have to figure out a way to deal with her."

"You can't do it on your own. I want to help you."

Regina pulled back so she could see his face. She shook her head. "No, Killian. She will kill you. I won't let that happen."

"She could kill you too."

Regina opened her mouth to argue but Hook cut her off. "I'm your knight in shining armor, remember? I will protect you from Cora. Her plan was to break you and then go to you when you thought that you had nothing left. Then you would forgive her and she would use your powers."

She nodded, having realized that earlier. "But that didn't happen."

"Not in the way she thought it would."

"What do you mean?"

Hook smiled. "Go to her and apologize. Pretend to fix your relationship. Use her love for you against her."

Regina mirrored his smile. "Because love is weakness." She grabbed his face and kissed him. "Thank you, Killian."

"Of course, love."

"I can bring you back to your ship before I go to my mother. We should pretend that nothing has happened. At least in front of others. We can't have my mother figuring this out."

Killian nodded. "So I have to wait until we are alone to do this?" He pulled her close again and kissed her. She responded by running her fingers through his hair and deepening the kiss. They were forced to break away due to lack of oxygen a few moments later. He rested his forehead against hers as they both tried to catch their breath.

Regina laughed breathlessly. "Unfortunately, yes. If my mother senses any change in our relationship, you will be in danger. And I have to pretend I have nothing left but her."

Killian kissed her softly. "But you don't. You have me now. So promise me you will be careful."

Regina smiled as she stepped back and grabbed his hand. "I promise."

She quickly transported them back to his ship. As soon as she was sure that they were alone, she kissed him goodbye and let go of his hand.

"Stay away from Rumple and Belle, alright? I don't want to have to rescue you AND deal with my mother." She said teasingly.

Hook laughed. "I'm too proud to be rescued by a lady."

She laughed as well but then raised her eyebrow at him.

"Alright, I promise to stay away from the crocodile and his heart."

Regina smiled. "Good. I will find you later."

She disappeared, leaving Killian to think about the woman that had so quickly become close to his own heart.

* * *

**thank you to my reviewers ! it means a lot to me to see your feedback. **


	3. Chapter 3

**i'm sorry this took so long! i've been so busy with school. this is a crazy week! hopefully, ill be able to work on this a lot during the weekend. **

* * *

Regina found her mother in Gold's pawnshop. She was looking around for something, though Regina wasn't sure what it was.

"Mother?"

Cora looked up quickly, startled at the unexpected interruption. She quickly masked her surprise into a practiced smile. "Regina. What are you doing here?"

"I want to apologize. I-I should not have yelled at you earlier. I do want to start over with you. I need my mom back." Regina slowly made her way over to her mom and hugged her like she did when she was younger. Cora returned the hug.

"Of course, dear. I'm always here for you."

Regina's eyes glistened with fake tears as she looked at Cora. "I love you, mother."

Cora smiled. "I love you too."

Regina swallowed to get rid of the feelings threatening to come to the surface. "The town needs to pay for how they treated me. You were right, they see me as a snake. Let's show them how powerful we can be together."

Cora's smile grew even bigger. "And I have just the plan."

* * *

Regina quickly walked through the streets of Storybrooke towards the harbor. She and her mother had gone to her home and discussed the terms of their plan through the rest of the afternoon. She showed Cora to the guest room and waited for her to fall asleep before she snuck out. Now, she hurried to Hook's ship before her mother could realize that she was gone. She pulled her jacket tighter as she reached the marina. It was always colder by the water. It took her a moment to reveal the ship. She stepped on board and made her way to the Captain's Quarters. She leaned against the doorway to watch Hook.

The pirate was laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had his hands folded on his chest. Regina watched his chest rise and fall with each breath. She felt comforted by the sight. Being with her mother exhausted her, but even just seeing Killian made her feel exhilarated and happy. She couldn't explain her strong feelings for him just yet. Earlier, she had felt a strong connection with him when they were sharing stories about their past. And the restoration spell... her subconscious must have directed the spell to repair everything. It wouldn't have done that unless she had strong feelings for him. She hoped that their plan to defeat her mother would work so they could be free to figure out what they are.

Regina knocked on the door. Killian sat up on his elbows to look at her. He gave her a huge smile. She walked over to the bed and laid next to him, leaning on her side so she could look at him. "What are you thinking about?"

He turned to face her as well. "You." He grinned and brushed her hair out of her face.

"Me?"

"Yes." Killian answered simply.

"What, is that all I get to know?"

He smiled. "I was thinking about how quickly you became the most important thing in my life. For the first time since Milah died, I have barely given thought to skinning my crocodile."

She nodded her understanding. He held up his hand and she laced their fingers together.

"What is Cora's plan?"

Regina sighed. "She wants to create a scene so everyone know who is in charge. Then, if they try and fight back there will be a harsh punishment. My mother has never been a fan of any form of revolution."

She looked down briefly and Killian wondered if her mother had treated her the same way she treated her subjects in Wonderland. He had not been there for long, but it was clear that she ruled with an iron fist. He heard stories about the types of punishment she dealt to anyone that disobeyed her. She had a troubled look on her face as she remembered something. He pulled Regina closer to him and she relaxed in his arms. He rubbed her back and she continued.

"She is looking for allies. She is going to summon the giant from the Enchanted Forest, as well as what is left of my army."

Killian groaned and she gave him a confused look. "I'm afraid that the giant isn't exactly my friend. And your army?"

"Is loyal to me, and me only. I made sure of that. So I will have them pretend to follow her orders until we are ready to defeat my mother. Apparently, she made a truce with Rumple, so he is out of the equation. Which means that she may be looking for other allies here in town."

"Other allies like me." Killian said. Regina nodded even though it wasn't really a question.

"If you decide to go against her, it will be very dangerous. Although, you could make sure Swan is actually protecting Henry and trying to get rid of Cora."

"Or I could join her and make sure that you are okay."

Regina smiled. "I'm going to be okay. But if you do choose to join her, she will use you to her heart's content. And we have to pretend to not care for each other, which will be difficult as we discovered earlier.

Killian grinned back at her. "That is true. When is she going to find me?"

"Most likely tomorrow. She will want to find allies before she begins her takeover. We are summoning the giant and my army in the morning."

Killian nodded. "Well it looks like we have a long day ahead of us, so we should get some rest. Will you stay here?"

Regina smiled and leaned into his embrace more. "I wasn't planning on leaving."

Killian laughed before tightening his arms around her. It wasn't long before they were both asleep, the ship's gentle sway lulling them into a deep slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

Killian woke up to an empty bed. A candle was lit nearby, but there was no sign of Regina. He stood to change into his clothes for the day when he realized that his pirate clothing was gone. In its place was clothing similar to those the other citizens of Storybrooke wore. He looked around before choosing a pair of black pants and a black v-neck shirt along with a leather jacket. He moved to grab the candle when he noticed something next to it. There was a note and a square block that lit up when he pressed a button. It told him that it was just past 9 am. He looked curiously at the thing for a moment before putting it down to read the note.

_Killian, _

_You looked so peaceful, I couldn't bear to wake you. I had to go before my mother noticed that I was gone. Whatever answer you decide to give my mother, be careful. I don't want you to choose her side because you want to protect me. I will be okay. _

_As you have probably already noticed, I replaced your pirate's garb with clothing of this world. Perhaps you will find it easier to blend in. I also left a cell phone for you in case I need to contact you. I will teach you how to use it later, but for now just answer my calls by pressing the answer button. _

_Hopefully, I will see you later tonight._

_Be safe,_

_Regina_

The pirate sighed and exchanged the note for the thing Regina called a cell phone. He pressed the button again and studied it when it lit up. He didn't see any answer button. He shrugged and shoved it in his pocket. He hid the note just in case Cora came snooping. He quickly made his way to the deck and looked around the harbor. It was a quiet and peaceful day, although he was sure it wouldn't be for long. He thought about Smee so he decided to find him. He figured that he had a while before Cora came to find him.

Killian rubbed his hands together before heading into the small town that was completely unaware of Cora's plan to take over.


	5. Chapter 5

The forest was growing darker as magic moved through the air. Green lightening flashed through the sky. The water in the well churned rapidly and turned dark.

Regina stood next to her mother as they summoned the giant and her army. Cora's face was impassive as she concentrated on her magic. Regina couldn't help but feel nervous and on-edge. She wasn't completely sure why her mother wanted the giant here, but she was fairly confident that her army would side with her. And with an army on her side, she was sure that they could finally defeat her mother. They just needed a good plan.

Cora smiled as she felt a shift in the magical balance of the town. Regina gave her a confused look. "Where are they? Why didn't they come here?"

"I didn't want them to come here. Your army is near the town limits. Go to them and tell them what to do. I will deal with the giant."

Regina hesitated slightly. Cora turned to her. "Regina, do not doubt me. Go reclaim your army. Now."

She nodded and disappeared. She found herself at the town lines a moment later. Her army was there, in the same uniforms she had given them so many years later. They were all trying to figure out where they were and what had happened. She took a deep breath and tried to recall her most intimidating stance as the Evil Queen. She may be different, but she couldn't let her army know that. Loyal or not, she had to make sure they feared her too much to betray her.

Regina cleared her throat to announce her arrival and waited for someone to approach her. Because they wore the black headgear, Regina knew that it was pointless for her to look for someone familiar. She only had to wait a moment before one stepped forward.

"Your majesty." He bowed before her and took off his helmet. His blue eyes sparkled as he looked at her for the first time in 28 years. He quickly ran his fingers through his short blonde hair before standing straight with his helmet at his side.

Regina smiled as she recognized her most trusted soldier. He was the one she had appointed to take care of her army. "Zane."

"My Queen, where are we?"

"You are in Storybrooke, Maine. This is where the curse brought us."

"But most of your army was in the small pocket of the land that was untouched when the curse struck." He pointed to the men behind him. "How are we here now?"

Regina nodded. She had sent her army on a mission just before she cast the curse. When they landed in Storybrooke, she wasn't sure why most of them had not come with her. Of course now she knew that her mother was the cause. She must have been in the same region as them when she cast the spell to protect herself and Hook from the curse.

"I summoned you here because I need you. With your help, I am going to take control of this town. There will be people that try to fight back. I want you to bring them to me. I want to control this town just as I controlled my kingdom. I'm sure you remember my usual orders."

Zane nodded. "We will do whatever you wish, Your Majesty. Where shall we start?"

Regina quickly filled him in on the plans and waited for him to distribute the troops around the town. Zane, as usual, was quick and efficient so after ten minutes it was just the two of them left.

"Zane, I need you to know that my mother is also here."

"Your mother? But you sent that pirate to kill her. He brought back her body." Zane watched her carefully.

Less than an hour ago, he had been trying to protect his men from any ogre attacks and suddenly, they were in another world. And his queen looked so different. Her hair was much shorter and she wore odd clothing. But that was not all that was different about her. Before the curse, Zane had known the Queen better than anyone. Well other than her father, of course. He knew her every emotion and she trusted him with a lot. He was fantastic at reading her, even when she tried to hide things from him. And she had always been softer when they were alone. But yet he could tell that she was truly happier now. She was nervous, but he could see that she had found some kind of happiness in her life. He was happy for her. Zane had always tried to encourage her to move away from revenge. He knew that no matter what she did to Snow White, it would never make her happy. He briefly wondered who had finally gotten through her stubborn head.

Regina took a deep breath before explaining what Killian had done. She told him about both Cora's plan and her own, but left out her relationship with the pirate. Although by the glitter in Zane's eye, he was clearly suspecting something. She ignored that and continued.

"So I need your men to listen to me, but not my mother. Do you understand?"

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"Zane, call me Regina. I'm not a Queen here."

Zane nodded. She had never liked when he called her that when no one else was around, so he wasn't surprised that she didn't like it now. She put her hand in the bend of his arm and began walking towards the town.

"So tell me, Regina, what has your life been like since we saw each other last?"

Regina smiled before telling him about Henry. She asked him about what the Enchanted Forest was like in her absence, but since they were frozen for 28 years there was not much to say.

It only took a few minutes for them to reach the center of town. Regina was pleased to see a few troops standing in the square, awaiting orders. The rest, she knew, would be scattered throughout the town. Other than her soldiers, the square was empty, though she could see Ruby, Granny, and a few of their customers peeking through the window of the diner to see what was going on. Regina turned to face Zane.

"I must find my mother so she can start her plan."

Zane nodded. "I will stay here. Is there anyone we should watch out for?"

"Not yet. I'll let you know."

Regina quickly traveled to her home. Her mother was waiting for her. Regina poured them both a glass of apple cider and sat down next to Cora.

"So, you dealt with the giant?"

"I did. He knows what to do now." Cora smiled before taking a sip of her drink.

"And what is that?"

"He is going to kill Prince Charming for us. He believes that he is the real James. Apparently King George's real son had made a bad impression on the giant, so he wants his revenge."

Regina closed her eyes. "Mother, I told you we couldn't just kill Henry's grandparents."

"We aren't. Tiny is."

"Where is he now?"

"On Hook's ship. Apparently, the pirate escaped from the hospital. I figured that David would look there for him and stumble upon a very angry giant. Although the giant isn't that big anymore." Cora smiled sweetly. She watched as Regina grew tense at the mention of the pirate. She wondered why it mattered to her that he escaped the hospital.

Regina sighed before nodding. "My army is spread throughout the town. If anyone tries to stop us, they will be taken care of."

"Good, dear. Our plan can be set in motion. Let's go." She put their drinks down and held out her arm for Regina to grab.

Cora transported them both in front of City Hall. She turned to Regina and smiled. "Go ahead, Regina. Do it."

Regina focused her magic inside her before conjuring a ball of fire. She looked at it for a moment before throwing it at the building. Cora laughed happily as the building burned.

"This is it. Everyone will know who is in charge now."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapters 6&7 didnt post, so hopefully this works. sorry about that! Ill upload the next chapter tomorrow too :) thank you to addicted1 who told me that the chapters didn't show up!**

* * *

Regina laid in Killian's arms as he kissed the top of her head. She rested her head on his bare chest and pulled the blankets higher to cover her naked skin. She could feel the cold breeze from the ocean and sighed. Goosebumps followed the path that Killian lazily drew on her skin.

"That was certainly better than I imagined." Killian commented.

Regina laughed. "Yes it was. Although I feel like a teenager sneaking around my mother to meet my secret boyfriend."

She smiled up at him and he kissed her slowly. "Does that mean you can't stay the night?"

Regina sighed. "I'm afraid not. She's been suspicious. I don't want her to come looking for me."

Killian closed his eyes. He had expected that answer, but it still bothered him. Regina was the only happiness that he had felt in years and he barely got to see her. "Is it too late to sail away?"

Regina stroked his face. "I'm sorry, Killian. I know I'm being selfish. But I can't let her hurt you. If that means we have to be careful and sneak around, than so be it."

He opened his eyes again and looked at her. "I know, love. But sometimes I wish I could walk down Main Street with you on my arm so everyone knows we are together."

Regina laughed. "Me too. Soon." She kissed him before getting up to gather her clothes. He stayed on the bed and watched her. She quickly got dressed and turned to sit on the bed next to him. She leaned down to give him a kiss and he pulled her to the side and she found herself trapped beneath him.

"Killian! I have to go!"

"No, you don't. I'm kidnapping you and keeping you here. It's a pirate thing." He smiled and began kissing her neck in an attempt to distract her from leaving.

She laughed before weakly trying to push him away. "You can't kidnap me, dear."

Killian just hummed a response. She pushed him away this time and he rested on his back briefly before grabbing her wrist to playfully pull her back. Regina laughed and shook her head. He let go and pretended to pout. She couldn't help but laugh at how adorable he looked, which only made him more upset. He stood and quickly pulled on his pants before grabbing her and putting her over his shoulder. He ignored her surprised shrieks as he brought her to the deck.

"Fine, then. I'm afraid that you will have to walk to plank." Killian put her down and pointed at the wooden board behind her.

The pirate crossed his arms as she laughed. He couldn't keep up the angry facade for long though. He cracked a smile and pulled her closer. Regina smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist.

He held onto her, unwilling to let her leave. "The townspeople reacted to her plan exactly as she wanted, didn't they?"

Regina nodded. "Yes. Buring down Town Hall today was just a way to attract attention and make sure they know our intent of taking over. Of course, Snow and Charming stepped up to try and talk us out of it, but obviously my mother didn't care. For the rest of them, they are too afraid to speak out with Emma and Gold gone."

"What happens if they do try and stop you?"

"I told my mother that my army would take care of them. Zane knows what to do with them. I don't want her to just kill anyone that gets in our way."

"Zane is from your army back in the Enchanted Forest?"

"Yes, he was my most trusted guard. He has been the leader of my army for years. He understands our plan as well."

"Great. The faster we can get rid of your mother, the faster we can be together." Killian kissed her and she grinned.

"And the faster you can send him back." He muttered under his breath.

Regina looked up at him, the laughter evident in her eyes. "You're jealous of Zane, aren't you?"

Killian shook his head. "I'm not jealous of him."

Regina laughed. "Liar."

"Why would I be jealous of Zane? I have you." Killian pulled her into his arms and kissed her again. Regina gave him a brief kiss back before promising to come back to him later.

He watched her leave before deciding to go back to bed. He realized that she forgot how to teach him how to use the cell phone. He decided he would find her tomorrow so she could explain it. Perhaps he would meet this Zane character too.


	7. Chapter 7

Regina woke up later than usual. She groaned when she heard her mother going through her things downstairs. She hurried to get ready for the day so she could make sure her mother wasn't being too destructive.

"Mother?"

"Oh, Regina. I'm glad you're awake. How do I make tea?" Cora turned away from the cabinets when she heard Regina's footsteps.

Regina sighed before showing her how to work her keurig to make tea. Cora decided she did not like the machine and asked her if there was another way. Regina pulled out her long forgotten kettle and explained that process. She tried not to laugh as her mother awkwardly made tea. Even back in the Enchanted Forest and Wonderland, she had always had servants to cook and clean for her. Regina had no doubt that her mother's transition into this world would be a bit difficult.

"What are the plans for the day?" Regina asked as she sipped her tea.

"I'm going to find Rumple's dagger."

"The one that you can use to kill or control him?"

"Yes. Do you know where it is?"

Regina shook her head. "Gold does not exactly trust me. He wouldn't have told me where it was."

"Perhaps Hook has found something out. He has been searching for a long time, so he must know how to find it. I will go to him later."

"Hm. I will check with Zane and make sure everyone is obeying."

"Good. We must find this dagger before Rumple returns." Cora set down her now empty cup. "I will see you later, dear."

Regina watched her leave before getting up to quickly do the dishes. She grabbed her jacket and walked towards the town center. She wondered what Killian would say to her mother.

* * *

Killian woke to footsteps on the floor above him. He groggily wondered if Regina had forgotten something. He got up and found his shirt under the bed, chuckling as he put it on. He remembered that in Regina's excitement to undress him last night, she had tossed his clothing everywhere. As he heard someone coming downstairs, he decided to finish looking for the rest of his clothing later. He double checked to make sure he still had pants on before he sensed someone in front of him.

Cora stood in the doorway. She smiled at him and he groaned. He had hoped it was Regina, not her manipulative mother. It was too early for him to be listening to her empty promises.

"I already helped you break your daughter. Since the two of you are taking over the town, I can only assume that your plan worked."

"Yes, it has. My daughter knows that I am the only one that loves her. She will be happy once we secure this town. But I need your help to do that."

"What can I do for you, Your Majesty?"

"I want you to help us find Rumple's dagger."

Killian raised his eyebrow in surprise. He nodded slowly. "I'll help you if I get to kill him with it."

Cora smiled. "Lovely. It's a deal." She moved to shake his hand before realizing his hook was gone. Killian followed her gaze and raised his hand to show her.

"I saved some water from Lake Nostos. I took it in the hospital hoping to fix my ribs. Lucky for me, my ribs weren't the only thing it fixed." Killian smirked.

"Interesting."

She shook his hand before disappearing, leaving Killian to think about how close he was to his goal of skinning the crocodile. He couldn't help but wonder why he saw Regina's face when he agreed to the deal. Or why he didn't feel happy.


	8. Chapter 8

**happy ouat day! Parts of this chapter are based on the new promo pics for "manhattan". :)**

* * *

"Regina. It's been quiet out here. We haven't had any problems." Zane stood straight when he saw his queen walking towards him. His men backed up slightly to give them privacy.

"Good."

Snow came out of Granny's dinner with her husband behind her. As soon as she saw Regina, she walked over to her. Regina sighed as she prepared for whatever Snow was going to say.

"How could you do this? You promised Henry that you were going to be better."

"Henry never believed that I could be redeemed so why should I? My mother loves me unconditionally. Unlike Henry, she will never hate me for making mistakes."

"Henry doesn't hate you. He was upset when we thought Archie was dead."

"He will never trust me. None of you will. Why shouldn't I live up to the horrible standards you have set for me?"

Snow hesitated. James interrupted her thoughts. "Look, I don't care if you hate us. Send the giant back to where he came from."

Regina glared at him. "No. He can enact his revenge while I enact my own on you."

Snow looked devastated. "Why can't we put this behind us?"

"Because you took the only person that made me happy. Daniel saved me from the pain that my mother inflicted every single day of my life. But you took that from me!"

Snow flinched at Regina's anger. "I wish I could take it back, Regina. I'm sorry." She said weakly.

Regina laughed. "I don't care, dear. My mother and I will rule over this town. You've found your True Love again, but with the giant in town you won't be together for long. So spend your time wisely."

She turned to look at Zane again. "I will talk to you later. Do not be afraid to use force on these two."

She disappeared.

* * *

Regina entered the library to find Killian and her mother standing over a map of Storybrooke.

"I got your note, mother. Why are we meeting here?"

"I thought that the Dark One would hide the dagger near his heart. The library seemed like a good place to start our search." Killian answered for Cora.

Regina nodded her understanding and walked behind her two allies. "What happened to your hook?"

"Water from Lake Nostos restored it." He held up his hand and winked at her.

Cora looked annoyed at their off-topic conversation. She pointed at the map again to bring their attention back to it.

"Where would you hide your most precious possession, Rumple?" She asked out loud.

Killian leaned over the table and Regina automatically placed her hand on his back. Killian froze for a second before relaxing. Luckily, Cora was so focused on the map that she didn't notice.

"Well it could be in his shop. I tried to find Smee and ask if he saw anything but alas, I could not find him."

Cora turned to look at Regina, who quickly removed her hand and ran it through her hair.

"I'm sure you've been in there more than I. Is it possible that he hid the knife there?"

"It could be. He has so much stuff in there. It could also be in his house."

"Perhaps someone in town could locate the black pouch he keeps it in."

"Black pouch? I saw one in the safe in his shop."

Cora smiled. "Wonderful."

She pushed Regina to start walking and followed her. Killian moved to follow them but Cora threw him against the wall of books with a flick of her hand. Regina gasped, but forced herself to stay in place. She made a fist and focused on the pain of her nails digging into her palm. Killian tried to move, but found himself behind a magical barrier.

"Sorry, dear. I can't allow you to kill Rumple. Once I get the dagger, you will be free to go. I suggest that you leave Storybrooke." She gave him a huge smile. "Come, Regina."

"You can't do this! We made a deal!" Killian yelled.

Regina gave him a look promising to come back before reluctantly following Cora to Gold's shop.

"What was that?" She asked as soon as they were out of the library.

"Hook is useful, but he will do absolutely anything to kill his crocodile. He will turn on us the second he gets the dagger. I can't allow him to get in the way of our plan." Cora transported herself into the shop, pulling Regina with her.

Cora headed straight for the safe she had seen when she was spying on the town. It was easily opened with her magic and she searched through it. The dagger wasn't there.

She turned to Regina. "Take me to Rumple's home."

* * *

A few hours later, Regina stumbled upon the dagger. She slowly pulled it out of the case and studied it. She ran her fingers across the lettering of Rumple's name. She thought about getting rid of the dagger so her mother could not find it. While she was not a huge fan of her former mentor, she didn't want to know what her mother could do with him. Regina knew that she would need his help to defeat her. She also wanted to keep the dagger from Killian. She knew better than anyone else how far someone would go for revenge. She didn't want to loose him to the Dark Magic that changed Rumple.

Regina turned to sneak out of the house when she saw her mother standing at the door.

Cora smiled when she saw the dagger in Regina's hand. "Oh, you found it. Lovely."

She took it and looked at it as Regina had earlier. Cora put it back in the bag and wrapped her arm around Regina. "Now, we will wait for Rumple to return."

"And then what?" Regina allowed her mother to pull her outside the house. She confidently held her head high when the people stared at them on the street. Although, she felt far from confident now that her mother possed the dagger.

"And then, we get Henry back. Once Miss Swan sees that she has no chance of winning, she will turn him over to us."

"What if I don't want him back anymore?"

Cora stopped walking and forced Regina to face her. "You said that you wanted him back. What has changed?"

Regina took a deep breath. "I have you now, mother. I know that you will always love me and do what is best for me. Henry is a child. He will never see past my mistakes. I'm done trying to be who he wants me to be. I don't want him in my life. I just need you."

Cora smiled happily and pulled her daughter into a hug. Regina thought about the few times she had actually seen her mother's genuine smile and felt guilty for lying to her. But she did what she needed to do to keep Henry safe.

"Let's go home, mom. I'll show you how to cook."

* * *

**my inspiration for regina manipulating her mother came from this tumblr post: **

******Plot Twist: **Regina is really the one manipulating Cora by tricking her into thinking that she has fallen back into Cora's arms when in reality she is planning to use Cora's love for her as a weakness.

**hopefully, i'm portraying this plot twist well so far :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Killian felt the barrier disappear a few hours later. He had tried to break past it, but gave up and picked up one of the random books around him. He had been educated as a child so even though it had been a long time since he last bothered to read, he remembered easily. He was halfway through a book called Harry Potter when the barrier was removed. He stood, realizing that Cora had found the dagger. Knowing that there was no way that she would allow him near it, he decided to take the book with him to his ship. Hopefully, Regina would come find him soon.

* * *

Killian had finished the book a few minutes before Regina appeared in front of him. He stood up and pulled her into his arms. She held on to his shirt and sighed.

"I'm so sorry, Killian. I had no idea she was going to do that."

"It's alright, love."

"Are you okay?" Regina searched his face for any signs of injury. She wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm fine. Are you alright? I'm assuming she found the dagger. But it's been a few hours since I was released."

"I'm okay. I needed to make sure she believes me when I say that I need her. I showed her how to cook." Regina made a face.

Killian laughed. "Ah well, I can't imagine that was fun."

"No, it was not. She always had people to cook for her. On top of that, we have a lot more technology than we did in the Echanted Forest. She is struggling with the differences here. And when my mother is frustrated, she is very difficult to deal with." She rolled her eyes.

"I can imagine. How long can you stay for?"

"Well, I made an excuse about taking a walk, so not very long."

Killian sighed unhappily before Regina continued.

"Although, I think we have just enough time to repeat last night." Regina smiled against his lips before pulling him into a heated kiss.

* * *

Regina held the cell phone in her hand as she explained how to use it. Killian sat up against the headboard while Regina leaned against his chest.

"So it contacts you by pressing a button? And I can talk to you?"

Regina laughed at his confusion. "Yes, dear. Watch this." She grabbed her phone from its resting place in her jacket, which was on the floor.

Killian watched as she called her phone and handed it to him.

"Put it up to your ear like this. The speaker is right here and the mouthpiece allows me to hear you talk." She said into the phone.

Killian heard her voice through the 'speaker'. Regina smiled at the surprise on his face. "Interesting, huh? The technology of this world is magnificent."

"Magnificent indeed."

"Which reminds me, I need to call Miss Swan."

Killian wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Why?"

"I told my mother that I didn't need Henry in my life anymore. I think she believed me, but I'm hoping that I can convince Emma to keep Henry away from Storybrooke for a little longer."

She sighed as she dialed her number. It only took Emma a few rings to answer.

_"Regina?!"_

"Miss Swan, I need you to keep Henry out of Storybrooke."

_"Are you insane? Mary-Margaret told me what you and you mother are up to. I'm not going to let you get away with this. I know you didn't kill Archie, but you can't just take over the town."_

"Well, I'm glad you finally believe me. But you can't stop me or my mother."

_"I'm the Savior, remember?"_ Emma asked sarcastically.

Regina rolled her eyes even though Emma couldn't see her. Killian chuckled behind her.

"Yes, well even your magic cannot stop my mother from hurting Henry. Do not come back to Storybrooke. And tell Gold that Hook is the least of his worries. Cora is in control." Regina hung up and hoped Emma would actually listen to her for once.

"Will Gold understand your message?" Killian asked.

"Yes. But he may not stay away. At least not with Belle here. Of course once he is back in town, my mother has control over him. There is no magic past the Storybrooke lines, that is why she cannot use the dagger against him until he returns."

"He won't leave her here. He will be back. What will we do then?"

"I don't know." Regina whispered before turning to bury her face in his neck.

* * *

**sorry for the short chapter. i'll post a longer one tomorrow :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**so let's just say that the whole giant thing ended the way it did in 'tiny'. :)**

* * *

Almost three weeks passed before Regina heard rumors of Gold's return. She and Killian had fallen into a pattern of calling and texting during the day, but avoiding each other in public. Regina would sneak out when her mother was asleep to go to the ship. Usually, their nights were spent talking or making love. Killian had been keeping watch around the town and he told her about the rumors he heard while he was in Granny's. They stood in Regina's kitchen while her mother ran some kind of errand.

"Was he with Emma and Henry?"

"According to the rumors, yes. There was also another guy, presumably Gold's son."

Regina sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Of course. When has Emma ever listened to me?"

Killian pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her. "She will protect him from your mother. And since Cora betrayed me, I could 'switch' sides to work with Emma and her parents. That will allow me to be near your son and make sure he is okay."

Regina looked up at him. "You would do that?"

"Of course. I would do anything for you, love." Killian smiled at her.

She kissed him. "Thank you."

They heard the front door open. Regina groaned. "Go out the back door. Be careful."

Killian kissed her on the cheek quickly before sneaking out the back door.

"Hello, Regina." Cora walked into the kitchen. She placed a few shopping bags on the counter. Regina moved to look inside them. "I picked up some things for us to cook. What are 'brownies'?"

Regina bit her lip to keep herself from laughing. "Oh good, I've been absolutely craving chocolate. Grab the ingredients and you will see one of this world's best desserts."

* * *

Killian stood at the door to Emma's apartment. He had followed Snow here earlier, so he knew this is where Emma would be if the rumors about her being home were true. He knocked on the door and waited.

It was Henry that answered. "You must be Captain Hook. There are no strangers in Storybrooke, so I figured that you are the one that came with Cora."

"Er, yes. You must be Henry."

Emma came to the door and put her arm around Henry. "Hook? What are you doing here?"

"Hello again, love. I've come to welcome you back to town." Killian winked at her.

"Yeah, sure. What do you want?"

At this point, Snow and Charming came to investigate. They stood behind Emma and Henry. Killian couldn't help but feel nervous under Charming's threatening glare. He held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Alright, alright. I'll admit, I didn't come here to welcome you."

Emma's eyes grew bigger. "Your hook! How did you get your hand back?"

"Ah, right. The waters of Lake Nosotos. I took some before Cora and I departed for this world. It restored my hand." He smiled. "And here I thought kings and queens had better manners. Are you going to invite me in?"

Snow nodded. "Of course. Let him in, Emma."

Emma reluctantly pulled Henry out of the way so Killian could come in. She closed the door behind him.

"Cora and Regina have Rumplestiltskin's dagger. They are going to use it to control him."

The small family looked shocked. Henry was the first to recover. "No, my mom said she was going to be better. She wouldn't work with Cora."

Killian knelt to look Henry in the eye. "She was trying. But Cora set her up for Archie's murder so she would be broken. The way, Cora could swoop in and convince her that she was the only one that Regina had left. Regina is willing to do anything to keep her mother's love right now, because she has no one else."

"But she has me. I never believed that she hurt Archie."

Killian shrugged. "But she never knew that. She believes that you will always see her as the Evil Queen. And now it is too dangerous to see her. Cora will hurt you if you go near her, Henry. I'm sure that your mother would not want that."

"Why would we trust you? How do we know that you aren't here to take Henry and bring him to Regina?" Emma asked as she tightened her grip on her son.

Killian stood again. "Because they betrayed me. I helped lead them to the dagger and Cora trapped me so she could get her hands on it. I'm done working with them."

"So what? You're back on our side until they give you a better offer?"

He shook his head. "No. Like I said, I'm on your side. I'm sick of Cora always telling me what to do. Not to mention, she tried to break her daughter so she wouldn't reject her. I've met some twisted people in my day, but that is something I do not agree with."

Snow and Charming shared a worried glance. Emma just studied Killian's face. "Alright."

"Alright?" Charming asked in surprise.

"Well, yeah. He isn't lying." Emma answered her parents. She turned to look at Killian again. "But if you even think about double crossing us again, it will be the last thing that you do, understand?"

"Understood, m'lady."

"Good. Gold got Regina's message about the dagger."

"And yet he came back? Apparently he is more of a fool than I realized."

"Yeah, well he wanted to make sure that Belle was protected from you. Why would Regina warn him?" Emma asked him.

"I haven't got a clue."

"I told you, she's trying to be better." Henry spoke up.

It was clear by the look on Snow's face that she didn't believe that. Emma looked doubtful as well, but she smiled at Henry and nodded. "Yeah, maybe."

Henry's face lit up. "So, what's the plan?"

"There is no plan, Henry. We just have to keep you safe from Cora." Charming said.

"But what about my mom?"

"Your mom is going to be just fine, sweetie." Snow answered. She turned to look at Killian. "There is going to be a meeting at Granny's tomorrow at 10am to discuss what to do. If you really want to work with us, be there. If Cora and Regina show up, we will know that you are still on their side."

Killian nodded. Snow showed him out the door. He thanked her before heading back to his ship. He found Regina lying on his bed. He quietly stood in the doorway to watch her.

"What did they say?" Regina asked without opening her eyes.

Killian chuckled. He should have known that he couldn't catch her off guard. "They couldn't resist my charm, of course."

"Oh of course not." Regina responded sarcastically. She opened her eyes and sat up. "I brought you brownies."

"Brownies?" He moved to sit next to her on the bed and grabbed the plate she held up. He moved to peel off the wrapping and held one up to look at it.

"It's not going to kill you. I made sure my mother couldn't slip any poison in it." Regina teased him.

Killian smiled before handing her one. She laughed at his reluctance to try the chocolately goodness and took a bite out of hers. He slowly bit into the brownie. It didn't take him long to realize that it was delicious so he quickly finished his and moved to take another one.

"This is delicious. What kind of magic is this?" He asked in between bites.

Regina laughed again. "Perhaps I'll show you how to make them soon."

"You better." Killian winked before putting the nearly empty plate on his nightstand. He pulled Regina into his arms and kissed her.

"Killian." Regina warned as she felt his fingers start to unbutton her shirt.

"What?" He asked with an innocent look on his face.

"The Charmings may have been unable to resist your charm, but I'm afraid that I can."

"What? Are you sick?" He jokingly put his hand against her forehead. She laughed as he moved his hand around. "Actually, you do feel warm, love."

Regina pulled his hand away. "I'm fine. I'm just tired."

Killian studied her face to see if she was being honest. He nodded when he figured that she wasn't downplaying any symptoms. She pushed Killian to lay down and put her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Goodnight, love." Killian kissed the top of her forehead.

He listened to her rhythmic breathing and realized that she was already asleep. He closed his eyes and breathed in the apple scent that he always associated with Regina. He thought about the meeting he was supposed to go to in the morning. Hopefully, they already had some kind of plan to get rid of Cora. Killian couldn't wait for that woman to be out of their life, so they could stop hiding their relationship. He wanted to be able to been seen with her in town instead of texting her throughout the day and waiting for her to come here. For the first time in many, many years he wanted more than just a casual relationship. He wanted everything with Regina.

He fell asleep a few minutes later and dreamt of Regina with a little kid that was the perfect mixture of them.


	11. Chapter 11

**happy valentines everyone! :))**

**so for reference for this chapter killian's texts are in **_italics_** while regina's are bold. enjoy!**

* * *

"Killian. Killian."

The pirate felt warm hands on his chest, shaking him lightly. He opened his eyes to Regina sitting over him.

"Get up, dear."

Killian groaned. "It's too early, love."

"It's nine o'clock. It's not that early. Besides, that's not what you said the other morning." Regina said teasingly.

"Is that why you woke me up this morning?"

"Well, no..."

"Then it's too early." He rolled over, pulling the covers over his head. Regina laughed.

"Alright, fine. But I still need to get home. So I will talk to you later." She pulled the covers back to kiss him on the cheek before she left.

"Goodbye, love." Killian laid there for a few minutes before forcing himself to get up.

He had a meeting to get to.

It took him about twenty minutes to get washed and dressed. He grabbed his cell phone and took his time walking to Granny's diner. It was a few minutes before ten when he stepped inside the busy diner. He stood by the door for a moment to study the people he would be working with from now on. He didn't recognise most of them. Emma waved him over so he joined her and her parents.

"Nice of you to join us, Hook." Snow said.

"Yes, well next time we have a meeting can we make it a little later?"

"Busy night?" Emma asked.

Killian just smirked. Emma opened her mouth to respond when Granny whistled to get everyone's attention. She nodded to Snow when the diner was silent.

"Alright, everyone. We are all here to make a plan to get rid of Cora. We need ideas to stop her from controlling our town."

"What about Regina? we have to deal with her too. Let's kill them!" A grumpy-looking dwarf shouted from the back.

Killian sighed and sat on one of the bar stools. This was going to be a long meeting. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened a new message to Regina.

_'How are you feeling, love?'_

He listened to them throw ideas back and forth for a few minutes before his phone buzzed.

**'I'm okay. My mother is driving me insane."**

_'Shall I come kidnap you?'_

Killian's thoughts about how he would do just that were interrupted by the arrival by two new people. Rumplestiltskin limped into the diner behind a man that looked to be about thirty. The man waved happily at Emma while the crocodile glanced around the diner. Killian dug his fingers into the counter when he made eye contact with him. Emma placed her hand on his arm and shook her head. Killian forced himself to look away from Rumple and glanced at his phone instead.

**'That would be lovely. There is this little cabin in the woods...'**

_'And what would we do there? ;)'_

**'You tell me. I'm supposed to be the kidnapped one, remember?' **

"What about the dagger? If they control Gold aren't we all doomed?"

Killian looked up to see the dwarf speaking again. A silence descended across the diner before Gold stood to talk.

"They can control me, but like my deals, there will always be a price to pay." He smiled.

"What does that mean?" Killian asked. It was the first thing he said since his arrival and many people stared at him in shock.

"Well it means that the temptation of taking all of that power will be very strong. One of them will try to kill me. But they will not succeed. I have created a potion to protect myself from them."

Charming turned to look at Killian. "Do you know what their plan is?"

"No. Cora wasn't very forthcoming with information. All I know is that she was willing to do anything to get her daughter. And she did. So after that, I don't know."

"What about fairy dust? We can try to set another trap for them."

Killian looked at the woman before glancing at Emma.

"That's the Blue Fairy." Emma whispered.

"I don't think Regina will fall for that again. We can't let them know we are trying to stop them." Snow answered.

"What about Regina's army? There are too many of them, we won't be able to get past them." A dark haired girl wearing a mini skirt and a tight top looked over at him and smiled.

"That's Ruby. She's too young for you." Emma whispered again.

Killian gave her a look.

"We have defeated her army once before, we can do it again. Her leader, Zane was always kind to me. I will talk to him later. Perhaps he will help us." Snow answered Ruby.

Killian rolled his eyes and answered his last text._ 'Perhaps I will surprise you... What are you up to now?'_

"What if they come after us?" Ruby asked.

"We will protect you from them." Charming answered. The buzz of his phone distracted Killian from listening to how he planned on doing that.

**'Mother wants to see the town, starting with Granny's. Why? Are you going to kidnap me from there? :)' **

Killian felt his heart race. He stood up quickly, interrupting the Prince's speech. "Sorry to interrupt Your Majesty, but Cora is going to be here any minute now. I think it is wise to end this meeting now."

The panic was clear on many people's faces but Snow and her husband managed to keep them calm. They hurried to leave through the back door that Granny pointed out. Emma turned to follow them, but Killian grabbed her arm and pulled her into one of the vacant booths.

"What the hell, Hook?"

"It would be a little suspicious if no one is in the diner, don't you think?"

Emma relaxed a little. "Right, sorry."

Ruby and her grandmother stood behind the counter as they pretended to check the cash register. Ruby came over to take their orders just in time for Regina and Cora to walk in. Regina's eyes widened as she noticed Killian and he winked at her before turning back to Ruby. She pulled her mother to the far booth and hoped that she didn't notice who the diner's other occupants were. Ruby gave Cora a dirty look as she passed before going back behind the counter to start their orders. Emma studied Killian.

"How did you know they were coming?" She leaned in to whisper.

He shrugged. "Maybe I've made friends in the past few weeks."

Emma snorted. "I doubt that."

Killian held his hand to his chest in mock hurt. "You wound me, Miss Swan."

Emma rolled his eyes and Killian watched as Ruby went to take Regina and Cora's orders. Regina made eye contact with him and looked down at her phone before looking back up. He got the hint, and checked his phone.

**'Are you insane? If she sees you, she will be angry.'**

_'Don't worry about me, love. Are you sure you are alright? You still look a bit pale.' _

"When did you learn how to text?" Emma said.

"I'm a fast learner." Killian smiled. He glanced down to check his phone again. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Regina's **'I'm fine'** text. He looked back up at Emma. "So, love, how was your trip?"

Emma shrugged. "Fine. We found Gold's son."

"And?"

"And what?" Emma leaned back as Ruby delivered their food.

Killian waited until Ruby was further away. "Well, he seemed eager to see you earlier."

Emma laughed. "Why, are you jealous?"

"You're avoiding the question. You know him, don't you?"

Emma picked at her food and avoided his eyes. Killian shrugged. "All right. We don't have to talk about him. We could just talk about me instead." He winked at her.

Predictably, she rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to retort when Regina caught their attention. Ruby placed a cup of coffee in front of her and she instantly paled before rushing to the bathroom. She accidently knocked the cup over and Ruby rushed to clean it up while Cora just looked confused.

"What the hell?" Emma stood up to go check on Regina.

Killian stood to follow her when Granny pointed for him to sit down. By the look on her face she meant business so Killian followed her directions. She moved over towards Cora.

"I'm going to wrap your food to go and then you are going to leave, do you understand?" Granny said confidently. She pointed to Ruby, who quickly began finishing the food and putting it in to-go containers.

Cora stood to face the grey haired woman. "And why would we do that, dear?"

"Mother, I think it's best we leave." Regina came back from the bathroom. It seemed she was ignoring Emma. She paused as she surveyed the scene in front of her before grabbing her wallet and paying Ruby. She grabbed the bag of food and her mother's arm.

Cora and Granny refused to budge, however. Emma stood next to Ruby with her hand on her gun in case the situation got out of hand. Regina looked like she was going to be sick again. She took a deep breath.

"Mother, lets go."

This time, Cora allowed Regina to lead her out of the door. Emma sighed in relief while Granny returned to her place behind the counter.

"Ruby, what was that? You didn't try anything, right?"

"No, I didn't. I just put the coffee in front of her and she turned as white as a ghost. She rushed to go to the bathroom and knocked over the cup." Ruby looked at Emma. "Did she say anything to you?"

"No, she just insisted that she was fine and that she didn't need a babysitter. She probably just has the flu. No big deal, guys."

Killian stood now. "The flu?"

Emma gave him an amused look. "It's not life-threatening. It just makes you feel like absolute crap for a few days."

"Ahh. Right." Killian grabbed his phone. "Well, I'll see you around." He winked at Ruby.  
Emma rolled her eyes. "Where are you going?"

"To take a walk. Let me know when you reschedule this meeting." He waved before going out the door. He checked for texts from Regina, but there was nothing so he replied to her last message.

_'Send Cora on some errands. I'm coming over. Don't think about saying you are fine.' _

Killian slowly walked towards Regina's house. He figured he would give her a few minutes to get rid of her mother before he showed up.

**'Fine. She will be gone in a minute.'**

_'Good. I'll be there soon.'_

**'The door is open.'**

It only took him a few minutes for Killian to find himself standing on her doorstep. He pushed the door open and walked into the house. "Regina?"

"In here!"

Killian followed her voice until he found her wrapped in a blanket on the couch in her living room. He sat next to her and looked her over. "Is it the flu?"

Regina shrugged. She leaned onto his shoulder and he put his arm around her. "I don't know. It's probably nothing. Or it could just be exhaustion. Someone has been keeping me up all night."

She tilted her face up to kiss his jawline. He laughed and turned to hold her in his arms. "I don't remember you complaining."

Regina ran her fingers through his hair. "I didn't think there was anything to complain about."

Killian pulled her in for a long kiss before remembering what brought him to her house. He pulled away and held her face in his hands. She realized why he was studying her and gave him a small smile.

"I'm okay, Killian. You don't have to worry."

"Don't they have some kind of potion to make you feel better in this world?"

Regina laughed. "They have medicine. Which is what I sent my mother to get."

Killian groaned. "I forgot about her." He pulled himself away from her and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

He leaned down to pick her up carefully. "Where is your bedroom, love?"

"Uh upstairs. It's the first door on the right."

Killian brought her into her room and gently placed her on the bed, making sure to pull the covers over her.

" Killian..." Regina started.

He sat next to her and cut her off with a kiss. "I'm sorry I won't be able to stick around to nurse you back to health, love."

Her laughter was like music to his ears. "Killian, I'm not that sick."

He raised his eyebrow. "Mmhm. Call me if you need anything, alright?"

"Alright. Thank you." Regina gave him a quick kiss.

She heard the door downstairs close and sighed. Regina felt much better after leaving the diner, but she was grateful for Killian's concern. She turned to see that Killian had left her cell phone in her nightstand. She smiled before picking it up and making a phone call to her doctor. She made an appointment for the next morning so she could figure out if it was the flu. Hopefully, her doctor could prescribe something to keep the nausea at bay.

Cora returned a few minutes later to find her daughter fast asleep. She sighed before closing the door and going back downstairs.


	12. Chapter 12

**here is a nice long chapter to make up for my lack of postings in the past few days. is anyone else super excited about "manhattan" tonight? ahh i can't wait! **

* * *

Ki**l**lian turned away from Regina's house and walked into someone. He looked up to see one of Regina's soldiers standing in front of him. The soldier seemed to assess him before pulling off his helmet.

"You must be Captain Jones. My name is Zane, I'm the lieutenant of-"

"I'm know who you are. How do you know of me?" Killian interrupted.

"Cora warned me to watch out for you, but Regina told me that you wouldn't be a problem. I trust her decisions, but I wanted to make sure that she wasn't being... misled by a pirate." Zane stood tall and confidently.

"My intentions are none of your business, Lieutenant." Killian growled.

"They are if they involve Regina. My job is to protect her."

"Your job is to protect her life, not her heart. Just make sure Cora or the townspeople can't hurt her."

Zane's blue eyes seemed to brighten as he smiled. "You are the reason she is happy, aren't you? She is different here and I thought it was because of the boy, but she hasn't seen him in weeks. But she sneaks out of the house just about every night. She goes to see you, doesn't she?"

Killian just nodded slowly.

Zane's smile grew even bigger. "Well then I suppose it's your job to protect her heart. You better be careful with it."

"I know. Trust me, I never want to see Regina hurt. If I could take her away from her mother, I would in an instant." Killian said honestly.

"As would I. So we will both do our jobs to protect her." Zane held up his hand for Killian to shake. "I'll see you around, Captain."

He nodded and walked away, leaving Killian wonder if his jealousy had been a waste of time. Clearly, Regina's lieutenant was going to protect her as much as Killian himself would. In his book, that made the guy quite trustworthy.

* * *

Regina woke feeling much better. When her mother suggested going out again, she nodded and grabbed her jacket.

"Where are we going?" Regina quickly followed her out of the house.

"To welcome Rumple home, of course." Cora answered. She held up the dagger and gave Regina a bright smile.

Regina sighed, knowing that whatever her mother had planned was not good. She quickly texted Killian.

**_'Mother is going to visit Rumple. She has the dagger. Tell Emma.'_**

She hurried to keep up with her mother. "What is your plan?"

"You will see, dear."

Regina felt her phone buzz. She looked at his answer._ 'I'll let her know. Be careful, love. Is there any way that you can get away from them?'_

**'No, I'll be fine. Make sure Emma doesn't run over here head first. She's going to need magical help. And you must stay away from Rumple. I'll come to your ship after, all right?' **

_'She's trying to gather magical help quickly. I can't make any promises. I don't care about that crocodile. I'm worried about you."_

"Regina, stop playing with that gadget and pay attention." Cora said. They stood in front of the shop. Cora moved to push open the door, but found that a barrier prevented her from entering. "Oh Rumple. A barrier could never keep us out. Come here, Regina. We can break this barrier together."

Regina stood next to her and held her hand up next to her mother's. Cora held the dagger in her other hand. Together, they focused their powers on removing the strong barrier around the shop. Cora laughed as she felt it weaken before them. She pulled Regina with her into the shop as Gold stood at the counter with a shocked look on his face.

"That's not possible. The two of you are not strong enough to break past that barrier." Gold looked at the intruders. He glanced between them before allowing his gaze to settle on Regina. "You increased your power. But how?"

Cora looked surprised as she turned to her daughter. Regina shook her head slowly. "I don't know what you are talking about. It doesn't matter. You shouldn't have come back to Storybrooke, Rumple. We have the dagger."

Gold's eyes traveled down Cora's arm to stare at the silver weapon in her hand. His face paled as he realized their reason for being there. Emma had told him about Regina's message, but he had been so worried about his son and Belle that he had forgotten about Cora.

"What do you want?" He finally responded.

Cora's mouth twisted into a cruel smile, but she was interrupted by the door opening. She and Regina moved to the side as Emma, Charming, and the Blue Fairy entered the shop. Emma and her father both held swords while the Blue Fairy held up a glowing hand.

"We won't allow you to control him, Cora." Emma snarled as she held the sword high.

Cora just laughed. "Oh and you three are going to stop us? You don't even have weapons."

Emma moved to respond but there was a puff of smoke and their swords were gone. "I- I have magic, remember? I can use it against you again."

Mother Superior lowered her hands in her surprise at hearing the new information. Cora moved in an instant, pulling her heart out of her chest. The fairy gasped and fell into Charming's arms. Regina echoed her gasp, but stayed next to her mother.

"You don't even know how to use your magic, dear. You never went through the proper training like Regina and I did. Our master taught us how to get what we want. Isn't that right, Rumple?" Cora looked over to the man.

Gold still stood by the counter. He looked at the woman he had hated for taking his son away before looking at her glowing heart in Cora's hand. Cora didn't wait for him to answer. She turned to her daughter. She placed the heart into Regina's hand. "Take her heart dear, and crush it."

"What?"

"Crush it. We both know that you know how. Just do it. Think about all the times that she ignored your cries for help."

"You-you knew about that?"

"Of course I knew. You called for her to save you from me every single night. But she never came. Do you know why? Because our station wasn't high enough for her. You would never be able to pay her back. The fairies don't help unless they get something out of it."

"That's not true." Mother Superior weakly responded. She stood against Charming and stared at her heart in Regina's hand. She looked up at her.

"That's not true." She repeated. "We didn't help you because you were touched by too much dark magic."

"Yes, by my mother's dark magic. Magic that I begged you to take me away from!" Regina stepped closer to her. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears, but her voice only sounded of anger.

"No, there was more dark magic than just your mother's." The fairy started. She glanced around before focusing on Regina and taking a deep breath.

"Regina, just crush her heart. She's lying so you will spare her life." Cora interrupted impatiently.

Regina shook her head. "Lying about what? What do you mean there was more dark magic at play? I never touched magic until after I was married. My father did not like magic either."

"Your history is dark, Regina-"

Cora cut the fairy off again by waving her hand and using magic to cover her mouth. Regina started to protest, but Cora grabbed the heart from her hand and squeezed. Mother Superior fell and was pale and lifeless in seconds. Regina stared at the ashes falling from her mother's fingers and thought about the last time she saw her do that. Emma held onto the body as Charming shook his head in shock. Gold had moved closer slightly, but had a horrified look on his face.

"You shouldn't listen to these idiots, Regina. You don't need them." Cora said darkly. She looked at Emma. "Take that as a lesson. Anyone that goes against me or my daughter will pay with their life. With Rumple's power, we could easily destroy this town in seconds. So behave yourselves."

She grabbed Regina by her elbow and pulled her out of the shop, leaving Emma to stare at the lifeless body in her hands. Regina came to her senses a few feet away from the stop. She pulled out of her mother's grasp and shook her head.

"What did she mean that my history is dark?" She demanded.

"Regina-" Cora began.

She shook her head again. "No. I deserve to know. What does that mean? My father never touched magic. Who else could have corrupted me so much that the fairies refused to help me?"

Cora looked up as Emma and Charming exited the shop, followed closely by Gold. She turned back to Regina.

"Actually, your father is an extremely powerful man."

"But my father-"

"Was not my husband."

"No. It's not possible." Gold said quietly. He walked closer to Cora and Regina. Charming put his arm around Emma and pulled her closer protectively.

"What's not possible? Mother?" Regina looked desperately between her Mother and her former mentor.

Cora ignored her; instead choosing to answer Gold's question. "Actually, it is quite possible. I knew that you could see the future, so I cast protection spells. After I beat you in our deal, I cast one so you could not find her until she called for you. I had hoped that she would never find you, but unfortunately she did."

"Your husband was weak. You wanted a powerful daughter and he could never give you one. Tell me, was it always part of your plan or just a happy surprise?"

"My past is dark because Rumple is my father, isn't he?" Regina said quietly, reminding them of her presence. Both she and Gold studied Cora's face, each waiting for the answer that could change their lives.

"Yes, dear."

Regina's hand flew to cover her mouth. Gold closed his eyes as Emma gasped loudly. Charming just stared at Cora.

Cora smiled. "Don't you understand, dear? You can be the most powerful being in all the worlds. I wanted you to have everything I never had; power, influence, money."

Regina shook her head. She brought her hands to her sides and clenched them. She narrowed her eyes and gave her a humorless laugh. "I never wanted any of that, Mother. But it seems that I was always destined to be evil. I never stood a chance."

The wind began to blow harshly around them. Emma looked up as the sky darkened and flashed. Charming's hand tightened on her shoulder.

"What's going on?" Emma asked.

"Regina, you need to control your magic. You could kill us all." Gold said carefully. He knew that mixing emotions with magic was dangerous, especially if Regina had increased her power. If she hadn't learned how to use the new powers correctly, she could do a lot of damage.

"I don't care. You ruined my life. Both of you." Regina's face was highlighted by the lightning.

Cora's face twisted in anger. Regina instinctively stepped back.

"I gave you a wonderful life. You were a powerful queen. We could have been invincible together, but you sent that pirate after me. You ruined your own life by falling for that stupid stable boy."

Regina raised her head. "Daniel made my life worth living. He didn't ruin it. You did, when you cursed Snow's horse to take off so I would save her. You ruined it when you killed Daniel."

Cora smiled. "Oh Regina. When will you learn that mother knows best?"

She raised her hand, sending her daughter flying backwards much like Regina had done to Emma. She froze Emma and Charming in their spots and walked towards Regina. With a flick of her wrist, Regina was suspended above the ground and tied by invisible rope. She struggled, but the bonds were just as powerful as when she was younger. Cora waited for the apology that always came. Regina closed her tear filled eyes and took a deep breath, thankful that the bonds didn't tighten any further.

"Let her down, Cora. She's right. We turned her into a monster." Gold moved forward to gain Cora's attention.

"No, you turned her into a monster. I turned her into a Queen. Why do you care Rumple? Because now that you know she is in fact your daughter? You turned one child into a monster so you could find your other child. It's too late to fix that."

Gold looked guiltily at Regina, who had stopped struggling. She opened her eyes to look at her mother. "I am sorry, Mother. You were right. You gave me everything, even though I never deserved it. Please, I promise to be better. Just let me down."

Cora nodded at her apology and let her down. Regina landed roughly on the pavement, but found herself standing at the flick of her mother's wrist. Cora stood in front of her and smiled. "You always learn your lessons in the end."

Regina shuddered as Cora pushed the hair out of her face. She looked over at the Charmings and unfroze them. Emma stepped forward, but was stopped by her father. Even though they had been stuck, they were still able to hear and see everything that happened. Emma's horror was clear on her face, while Charming looked as if he was going to be sick.

"Let's go home now, dear. We can deal with your worthless father later." Cora smiled at Gold. He just watched Regina as she took a small step back.

Charming, sensing another fight, took the opportunity to grab his daughter's arm and pull her back towards their home before either one of them were hurt.

"I-I need to take a walk. I'll meet you at the house later." She waited briefly for her mother to protest before disappearing.

She stood inside Killian's bedroom, thankful that he had followed her directions and waited on his ship. He was laying on his bed when she arrived, but quickly stood up and wrapped his arms around her. She felt the tears begin to fall as he held her tightly, whispering soft nothings to comfort her.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sorry for the long wait! **

* * *

Killian paced the length of his ship as he ran his fingers through his hair. Regina had cried herself to sleep and he felt his heart break at the sight of her. She hadn't been able to explain what had her so upset, but he knew her mother had to have done something to her. He resisted the urge to punch something so he wouldn't wake her up. Killian wished he could save her from the pain, but he didn't know how. He didn't even know what happened. As far as he knew, Regina only had two weaknesses. Him and Henry. He quickly pulled out his phone and scrolled through the contacts Regina had saved in it. He found the one he was looking for and called it before pressing the phone to his ear.

_"Hello?"_

"Emma. It's Killian. Is Henry alright?"

_"Hook? He's fine, why? Is Cora going after him?"_

"Ah, no. I heard that something happened between Regina and Cora and I wanted to make sure your boy was alright." Killian lied. He had to remember that he and Regina weren't supposed to be on the same team.

_"Ah yeah. Henry wasn't involved."_

"What happened? After they broke into the crocodile's shop, I mean." He blurted out before he could stop himself. If Emma was surprised, she didn't seem it.

_"Cora killed the Blue Fairy. She told Regina that her family line was darker than she thought and Cora admitted that Gold -Rumplestiltskin- is her father. Regina was upset and Cora used magic to restrain her... It was horrible. How could she do that to her own daughter?"_

Killian felt his anger resurfacing. No wonder Regina was so upset. She had told him about her close relationship with her father, Henry. Finding out that her real father was the Dark One must have come as a horrible shock to her. And then her mother used magic to harm her. He decided that he would kill Cora as he had promised Regina so many years ago. The first chance he got, he would make her suffer for everything she did to the woman he loved.

The woman he loved. Killian wasn't even surprised to realize that he loved her. His feelings for her were so intense and stronger than they ever were with Milah. Though he had loved Milah, he knew deep down that Regina was his True Love. He vowed to do anything to protect her.

He shook his head as he realized Emma was calling his name. "What happened after that?"

_"Well, Regina apologized so Cora let her down. She wanted to go back to the house, but Regina told her she needed to walk and disappeared. My father pulled me away, so I'm not sure what happened after that. We need to find Regina. I think that she believes that she has no chance of being good because her parents are so evil. We have to find her before she does something that she regrets."_

"I'm good at finding things. I will find her." Killian smiled slightly, knowing that she had already found him.

_"You better. I don't want to have to tell Henry that his mom is gone again. I already have to tell the town that the Blue Fairy is dead. They are going to panic. Oh God..."_

"Don't worry. We will come up with a plan to get rid of Cora. Are you having another meeting?"

_"Yeah, tonight at 10pm. We can't wait until the morning."_

"Alright. I will be there. I have to go now, but I'll see you then."

Killian hung up after Emma said goodbye and walked downstairs to his bedroom. Regina was still asleep, but her face was contorted in fear. She whimpered and moved around. Killian sat next to her and called her name as he carefully shook her. She woke up, her eyes wide and frightened. Killian pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back soothingly as he reassured her that she was safe. She relaxed in his arms after a few moments and he felt her breathing even. He maneuvered them so he was lying down, but still holding onto her.

"It's okay. I'm here. I won't let her hurt you." He brushed the hair out of her face and kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you." Regina responded quietly. Her voice was raspy from all the crying she had done.

"Anything, my love." Killian continued to rub her back.

Regina realized how late it was and sat up quickly. "I shouldn't have stayed so long. My mother is going to be angry."

She moved to stand, but Killian grabbed her hand. "I won't let you go back to her if she hurt you."

"Killian..." She said softly.

"No. Emma told me what happened." He watched as tears threatened to fall from her eyes again. He stood to be at eye level with her and cupped her face in his hands.

"All this time I tried to be better, for Henry? It was pointless. I've never had a chance to be good. Not with my... lineage."

"You can't believe that. Your parentage does not effect who you are. Your mother is incapable of loving, but you are the most loving person I know. Don't give me that look, love. You are. You are putting yourself in harm's way just so you can protect your son. Cora and Gold would never do that. You already are better than them."

"You don't believe that."

"I do. Just because Gold is your father, it doesn't make you a bad person."

"I yelled at my mother again. What if she doesn't take my apology this time? We still have to find a way to get rid of her."

"She will. She needs your power. Do you have to go back to her?"

Regina sighed. "Yes. We need to get rid of her. The only way is to gain her trust. Hopefully soon she will let her guard down so I can find her weaknesses."

"Regina, if she harms one hair on your head..." Killian began threateningly.

Regina interrupted him with a kiss. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For always being here for me. For having my back. You give me the strength to stay on my path of redemption. Without you, my mother would have convinced me to join her. So thank you."

Killian gave her a lopsided smile. "In that case, you are very welcome." He gave her a quick kiss before pulling her into his arms. "Stay the night?"

"I should go fix things with my mother. And I have an early appointment in the morning. I know how much you hate when I have to sneak out early." Regina smiled against his chest.

"An appointment for what?"

"It's just a doctor's appointment to make sure I don't have the flu or anything. Although, I feel alright now. It's just been the past few mornings."

"The past few mornings?" Killian pulled back so he could look at her face. "You didn't tell me that. In fact, I recall you saying that you were fine."

Regina gave him a sheepish grin as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I am fine."

"But you made a doctor's appointment?"

"It's not really a big deal, Killian."

"Fine then. You can stay the night and I'll go with you to the appointment. That way you won't have to sneak out." He gave her a huge smile.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. You better be ready to go."

"What time is the appointment?"

"Nine." Regina let go of him and moved to grab some of the clothes she had stuffed in his drawers. Since she spent so much time on the ship, they both decided weeks ago that it would be convenient for her to keep clothes there.

"Nine in the morning? Why would you make an appointment that early?"

Regina just laughed as she moved around him to get ready for bed. He stood there wondering why anyone would willingly get up that early when she threw his bed clothes at his face. He snapped out of it just in time to catch the clothes before they fell. Regina laughed again as she disappeared into the bathroom. Killian grumbled as he changed and waited for her to come out. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long. He hurried to brush his teeth before joining her in bed.

* * *

Regina returned to her house later the next afternoon. She quietly closed the front door and listened for any traces of her mother. She heard nothing, so she moved further into the house before collapsing on her couch. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Regina? Oh dear, thank goodness you came back. I was so worried."

She opened her eyes to see Cora looking worried in front of her. She gave her a small smile. "I didn't mean to worry you, Mother. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm glad you are okay." Cora sat next to her and pulled her into a hug.

Regina savored the feeling before pulling away. Cora looked her up and down, her worried expression deepening. "What is it, dear?"

"I'm pregnant."

* * *

**some of you already guessed it... Regina is pregnant! :D**


	14. Chapter 14

_"She won't let me go anywhere. She's afraid something will happen to the baby. So I'm on house arrest for the next seven to eight months."_

"Don't worry, love. I'll get you out. What is she worried about?" Killian sat at Granny's diner. He rubbed his face.

When the doctor had told them that Regina was pregnant, it was a huge shock for the both of them. It took them a few minutes to move past the surprise, but they realized that they were excited. Killian was so happy to find out that he would be a father. Regina was nervous about the town finding out, but she was happy that she was going to be a mother again. They had agreed to keep it a secret for as long as possible so their relationship would be safe. Regina decided to tell her mother in hopes that it would convince her to open up. If Cora thought Regina trusted her and loved her, she might spill something they could use to defeat her.

She was also worried about Henry finding out. Regina hadn't seen her son since he returned from New York, but she figured he believed she had joined forces with Cora again. He probably hated her, so the news of her having a child would probably make him more upset. She hoped to be able to fix their relationship before the news spread.

They had split ways after the doctor's appointment. Killian had gone to his ship and then Granny's while Regina went home to apologize to her mother and tell her the news. She explained that the father was not in the picture so he did not matter. Luckily, Cora did not press her for information. She spent most of the day talking about how perfect her grandson or granddaughter would be. Regina was finally able to sneak away for a few minutes to call Killian.

_"I don't know. Rumple, I assume. I know that they had a past, and he does make deals that include the payment of children. Perhaps she is worried that he will try to take our baby. But we won't let him."_

"No, we won't. There is no way in hell he will touch our child." Killian lowered his voice so the other patrons couldn't hear him.

_"There's no reason to worry right now. I can deal with her here. At least she seems to have given up the idea of controlling Rumple for awhile."_

"So she accepted your apology?"

_"Yes. I told her it was the pregnancy hormones. She was so excited, she didn't really care. She's actually being sweet. It's frustrating not being able to leave, but as long as she isn't trying to manipulate me I'm okay."_

"Good. I promise we will figure something out soon, alright? Hang in there, love."

_"I will."_

Killian looked up as Emma Swan walked through the door with Henry. She made eye contact with him and headed straight to his table.

"Way to show up last night, Hook. What was that about?"

_"Is everything alright?"_ Regina's voice sounded through the phone.

"I have to go, love. I'll talk to you later." Killian hung up the phone and pointed to the seats in front of him. Emma just crossed her arms and stared at him. Henry looked back and forth between them.

"I'm sorry, Emma. I had to deal with something and I forgot."

"What was more important?"

"You told me to find Regina, did you not?"

Henry sat down next to him. "Did you find her? Is my mom okay?"

Killian nodded. "Yes. She's going to be okay."

Henry looked relieved. "Did you tell her I love her?"

"I'll tell her next time I see her." He gave the boy a smile. "You can sit here, Swan."

Emma reluctantly unfolded her arms and sat across from him and Henry. "The town wants revenge against Cora and Regina. I told them that Regina didn't do anything this time, but they don't care. I know Regina can protect herself, but she's in a lot of danger right now. We have to arrest Cora as well."

Killian sighed and rubbed his face again. "Zane will not allow anyone near Regina. He is fiercely loyal and protective. Cora will be difficult to get rid of, especially with the Blue Fairy gone."

"My parents said the other fairies can use fairy dust to stop Cora from using her magic. We just need to go close enough. But it sorta backfired last time we tried it." Emma looked guilty.

"Alright. Prepare to do that the next time she is seen around town. But something tells me you will have quite a bit of time to get ready."

"Why?" Henry asked curiously.

Killian shrugged. "She just told Regina who her true father is. They have a lot to work through."

Ruby walked up to their table with her notebook in hand. "Lovely, mother-daughter bonding. We should attack them now, while they're weak." She suggested before giving Killian a flirtatious smile.

"They may be angry at each other, but that certainly does not make them weak. It is extremely difficult to catch them off guard. Trust me, I've tried." Killian said as he thought about the first times he met each of the women.

"Well we have to do something. They are too dangerous to leave alone."

Emma nodded in agreement. "Gold said that Regina doubled her power. I'm going to ask him how that's possible."

She stood before realizing Henry was there. "Ruby, can you watch Henry for me?"

"I'm sorry sweetie. Granny needs my help today."

"He can stay with me." Killian gave Henry a smile. "I can make you a true sailor."

Henry's eyes widened in excitement. He looked up at his mother. "Please Emma?"

Emma sighed. "Fine. Be careful with him, alright? I'll call you when I'm done."

Killian waved as she left the diner. "So, do you want to eat first?"

"Sure. Then can we go to your ship?"

Killian laughed at the boy's eagerness. "Yes, we can."

Ruby took their orders and left to make the food. Henry asked lots of questions during their meal. He was curious about Killian's life as a pirate.

Henry picked up a French fry and looked at Killian. "How did you meet my mom?"

"Regina? Well, I broke into her castle and she caught me."

"Cool! Why did you break into her castle?"

"I heard that she was holding Belle, so I hoped she would have information on how to kill Rumplestiltskin. Unfortunately, she did not and your mother found me."

"What did she do?"

"She sent me to... deal with her mother. She didn't want her coming here with everyone else during the curse."

"She sent you to kill her. But you didn't, did you?"

Killian looked down for a moment. "No, I didn't. She led me to believe that Regina lied to me. So I helped her fake her death and stayed with her when Regina cast the curse."

"I overheard Gold telling Emma about her when we were in New York. Is she worse than my mom? She was the Evil Queen..."

"Yes, she is much worse than your mom. Regina has a good heart, even if she pretends to be cold and uncaring. Cora... well she tried to break her own daughter so she would turn to her. She is truly the evil one."

Henry was silent as he finished his food. Killian wondered if he had been too honest with the boy. He wasn't sure how much Emma and Regina kept from him. He decided to ask them about that later.

"So, are you ready to learn how to sail?"

Henry shook his head eagerly. His excitement was nearly contagious as he bounced around the sidewalks leading to the harbor. Killian led him to his ship and showed him how to step through the invisible barrier.

Killian was surprised at how quickly Henry picked up what he taught him. In just a few hours, he was a wonderful sailor. He figured both of Henry's mothers would be upset if he actually took the ten-year-old out on the sea, so they had to settle for pretending. Henry narrated their 'adventures' of finding buried treasure and sword fights as he steered the ship. Killian couldn't help but laugh at his strong imagination. He wondered if his own child would be so creative and intelligent.

He was so busy imagining his child, he didn't notice Emma step aboard the ship. Henry ran to her and gave her a big hug. Emma smiled before looking at the pirate a few feet away.

"Hook? Are you alright?"

Killian snapped out of it when he heard his nickname being called. "Sorry, love. Did Gold answer your questions?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "In riddles, of course. He wasn't totally sure how Regina was able to increase her power, especially without her mother knowing. He said that Regina has her mother's old spell book, but he doesn't think she would use it because there is too much of a price. But, he does know of a way to defeat Cora. There is a potion he can make to strip her of her magic."

Killian looked away as she explained how Regina could have doubled her powers. She had explained that to him earlier. Apparently, pregnancy increases powers in a sorceress. He looked back at Emma when she said Gold knew how to get rid of Cora. "Well, tell him to make it now. We can give it to her tonight."

Emma shook her head. "He doesn't have all the ingredients. He needs to grow them. Unfortunately, that will take months. I gave the seeds to Tiny so he can start growing them next to the beanstalk. Gold is also worried about what will happen when Cora decides to control him. He wants to teach me how to make the potion."

Henry turned around to look at Emma. "No, you can't do magic. It comes with a price, remember?"

"Henry..."

Killian knelt down to be at eye level with Henry. "If Emma can make this potion to stop Cora, then we can convince your mom to be one of the good guys. But she can't do that unless her mother is gone. If Emma is the only one that can do it, then she has to. She will be okay."

Henry nodded. "Okay, fine. Thanks for today, Hook. I had a lot of fun."

"You are good sailor. You are welcome on my ship anytime."

"Emma, can he come over for dinner? Pleeaaaaaase?"

Emma laughed. "Alright."

"Will you come over?"

Killian found himself unable to resist the puppy dog eyes. He nodded. "I'd be delighted to."

Henry grabbed his hand and pulled him off the ship. Emma followed close behind, rolling her eyes. The walk from the ship was short. Henry rushed up to his bedroom to grab his book to show his new friend. Emma looked around the empty apartment.

"My parents must have gone out. I don't know if Henry already told you this, but I'm not a very good cook. Actually, I can't cook for my life." Emma gave him a sheepish smile.

"Lovely. Shall we order from Granny's then?"

She nodded. "That's a good idea. I can go pick it up. Thanks for watching Henry, by the way."

"It was my pleasure. He's a good kid."

"You're pretty good with him." Emma studied his face. "Why didn't you ever have your own kids?"

Killian tried to shrug nonchalantly. "Revenge kind of takes over your life."

"But what about before? With Milah."

"Milah already had a child. She wanted adventure, not a family."

"Right. That's why she left Gold and Baelfire for you."

Killian gave her a look and she backpedaled. "I mean, I'm sure she loved you. But part of the initial attraction was probably the freedom and adventure you represented to her."

"Perhaps." Luckily, Killian was saved from answering further by Henry's return.

"My book has your story too. Even why you and Rumplestiltskin hate each other." Henry gave him an excited grin.

Killian looked over the pages briefly before shrugging. "Looks about right. Does it have anything on Cora's past? Especially with Rumplestiltskin's part in it?"

Henry shook his head in the negative. "No. The first mention of her in here is when my mom pushed her through the mirror. But if you look up the original story about Rumplestiltskin, he makes a deal with the miller's daughter. He helps her turn straw into gold for the king in return for her first born child. When she has her baby, he goes to take her away but she guesses his name right so she wins."

"The miller's daughter? Um, Regina Mills?" Emma spoke up.

"It was quite common in our world for women to take a name based on their father's job. So if that story is correct, Cora best the Dark One and was allowed to keep Regina. That probably explains why they hate each other." Killian responded.

"So she had to have loved Regina. Why else would she have tried so hard to keep her?"

"Maybe she did love her once. But now, Regina is more like her favorite doll."

It was silent for a moment as the three of them contemplated Killian's words. Emma used the lull in conversation to make their food orders. She put down the phone after a few minutes and looked at Killian.

"How is it possible that Gold didn't know that Regina was his daughter? I thought that he could see the future."

"Mr. Gold said that the future is like a puzzle and there are missing pieces." Henry answered as he thought about what the man told him when they were in New York.

"So if Cora was able to magically shield Regina from him, he wouldn't have been able to see that she was his child?" Emma watched Killian nod affirmatively before continuing. "Well if they hated each other before, it's only going to get worse. Cora kept his own child from him. He is going to be angry."

"Indeed. Cora does have the dagger. She may just kill him." Killian thought for a moment. "Regina may be upset about being the daughter of the Dark One, but she won't allow her mother to kill him."

"Then we better hope that she can keep her mother away." Emma responded.

Killian looked down at the book again. He only hoped they could keep Regina out of the crossfire as well.


	15. Chapter 15

**sorry this is such a short chapter, but the next one is quite long! :D**

* * *

Cora perused the aisles of Storybrooke's grocery store. She glanced down at the elegant handwriting on Regina's grocery list before adding another item to the small basket on her arm. She wasn't sure why Regina wouldn't allow her to just magically create these items, but she figured she would do what her daughter wished. If it meant that Regina would forgive her for lying about her father, Cora would do anything.

She had known from the moment she found out that she was with child that it was not her husband's baby. That sure feeling only increased as Regina grew older and showed signs of being incredibly powerful. Unfortunately, Regina did not like magic so she suppressed her powers. Cora had not been pleased and she punished her daughter severely. She vaguely wondered if Rumple had been surprised at how much power Regina had when he began to teach her. She knew of his plan to turn her into a monster. Jefferson had told her everything when they were in Wonderland. So she had resisted using magic at first. That was no surprise to Cora. But she finally embraced it and became the Evil Queen. News traveled quickly, even to Wonderland. She heard rumors of the death of King Leopold and his wife's possible hand in it. Cora was proud of her daughter. She finally became the powerful woman Cora wanted her to be. But now, she was resisting her magic again. All because of a boy that didn't even love her.

Cora placed another item in the basket as she pondered what to do about that. Regina was clearly reluctant to kill the Charmings to take him back. Perhaps there was another way to get the boy back. She was anxious to meet her grandson and hoped that returning him to Regina would make her happier. Her thoughts were interrupted as someone stood in front of her.

"Cora?" Snow looked puzzled as she stared at her.

"Oh, Snow how lovely to see you." Cora said sweetly. She moved around her to finish the grocery list and pay in the front of the store.

Snow followed her in a bit of a daze. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm getting groceries, dear."

"I'm going to call my husband so he can arrest you for kidnapping Archie." She pulled out her phone.

Cora handed the money over the counter. "You do that, dear. But I have a better idea. Why don't you and your family come over for dinner tonight? We have a lot to catch up on and Regina makes a wonderful lasagna."

Snow just opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say.

"I also believe that Miss Swan and my daughter have a lot to talk about regarding Henry." Cora didn't wait for her answer as she gathered the bags and walked towards the door. "Dinner is at six. I'll see you then, Snow."

She disappeared just outside the store and landed in Regina's kitchen. She set about putting the groceries in the places Regina had pointed out a few weeks ago. Her daughter wandered in a few minutes later. Despite the fact it was still morning, she grabbed the jar of pickles and uttered her thanks before turning to leave.

"I invited the Charmings to dinner tonight." Cora watched as Regina stopped in her tracks. She turned around slowly and gave her an incredulous look. "You and Emma can talk about your arrangements with Henry. We both know her parents aren't going to allow her to go anywhere without one of them. So they will be here at six. Can you make a lasagna?"

Regina nodded. "Of course, Mother. I'll start when I'm done with these." She held up the jar of her latest cravings.

"Thank you dear. How are you feeling?"

"Alright. But I would feel better if you would allow me out of the house." Regina gave her a hopeful smile.

"Regina, I already told you. Your safety comes first, especially with this child."

"I can protect myself. There is no danger right now. I can't spent the next eight months stuck in this house. I'll go crazy, Mother."

"And what happens when people find out that you are with child?"

"I still have a few months before I start showing. Even then, I can use a cloaking spell for a few more months so no one will be the wiser. I'll stay here when it becomes obvious." Regina reasoned that hopefully, her mother would be gone then.

Cora sighed. "Fine. But you must be careful."

Regina's eyes sparkled as she smiled. She put down the jar to give her mother a quick hug. "Thank you!"

Cora watched as she grabbed the jar again and disappeared into the house. She wished, briefly, that her relationship with Regina was easier. Because even though _love is weaknes_s, she loved her daughter more than anything in all the worlds.


	16. Chapter 16

The hours passed by quickly as the mother-daughter duo prepared dinner. Although they shared very few words, the silence was comfortable. Cora could tell that her daughter was slightly nervous for this dinner, so she allowed her to pace as they waited for their guests. A few minutes after the hour the bell rang and Regina jumped. She ran her fingers through her hair quickly before answering the door.

"Regina." Emma said in lieu of a greeting. She stepped past her with her parents close behind. She nodded to Cora who gave her a smile.

"Dinner is almost ready. We can sit in the dining room. Would you like anything to drink?" Regina asked.

Cora smiled at her daughter playing the perfect hostess.

"Any type of alcohol. We are probably going to need it." Emma said honestly. Regina gave her a look, but said nothing as she disappeared into the kitchen.

Snow and David reluctantly followed Cora into the dining room. Cora sat at the head of the table. David sat next to her with Snow on his other side. Emma followed a moment later and sat across from her mother. She looked around the room. The table was set elegantly, something that didn't surprise her. She was having dinner with a bunch of royals after all. Regina entered the room carrying a bottle of wine. She placed it in the center of the table.

"Of course you grab wine. Don't you have a secret stash?" Emma groaned.

Regina rolled her eyes before leaving again. Cora poured wine into her own glass before offering it to Snow, who declined but then changed her mind. She nervously gulped her drink before David put his hand on her thigh to relax her. Regina returned carrying the lasagna and set it on the table before leaving and coming back with a bottle of vodka, which she set in front of Emma. She gave her a smile before sitting next to her.

"Great, thanks." Emma helped herself to the lasagna first.

David, having had Regina's lasagna before, was quick to fill his plate. Snow was a bit reluctant, but she grabbed some food too. Cora followed suit before filling Regina's plate for her. She pointedly ignored the look Regina gave her and turned to David.

"So, dear where are you from in our world?"

"Well I grew up on a small farm with my mother."

"A farm? I thought you were the son of King George." The surprise was evident on Cora's face.

"Actually, that was my twin brother. My mother made a deal with Rumplestiltskin. He took my brother James to the King while I stayed on the farm. But James was killed and King George wanted me to take his place so I did."

"What an interesting story. Is that how you two met?"

"Not quite." David's eyes flickered to Regina, who was studying her food. "She tried to rob my carriage."

"Tried!? I'm pretty sure I pulled it off." Snow spoke up with a smile.

"Wait, you met because Snow stole from you?" Emma asked in shock.

"Apparently thievery runs in the family." Regina said dryly.

David ignored Regina's comment. He looked at Emma. "Yes, we did."

"That sounds like an exciting story." Cora remarked, prompting David and Snow to explain the story of how they met.

They were unsure of how much Cora knew, so they glossed over the Regina's actions against them as much as they could. Cora listened intently, as did Emma. Regina was quiet although she didn't bother to hide her bored expression.

"And although it's been a bit difficult, I couldn't imagine my life any different." David put his hand over his wife's and smiled at Emma.

"Lovely. Does anyone want tea?" Regina snapped her fingers and the plates disappeared. She smiled as Emma jumped in surprise.

"Of course, dear." Cora answered. Regina left to grab the tray of tea. "I don't understand why she doesn't have servants for this kind of thing."

"It's not customary in this land, Mother." Regina said through her teeth as she walked back in. She placed the tray on the table before pouring the tea in each cup and handing it to her guests. Emma shook her head and held up the bottle of vodka. "I'm not a tea person, but thanks."

Regina gave her a look. "Why don't we take our tea in the living room?"

Snow nodded and they all stood to follow Regina into the living room where they settled into the comfortable sofas.

"Well I'm guessing you didn't invite us here to talk about how my parents met." Emma started. "So what do you want?"

The three Charmings turned to look at Cora. Regina casually took a sip of her tea as she waited for her mother to explain. Cora had not said anything about her plans to her, so she still was in the dark.

"Henry needs to be with his mother." Cora answered confidently. "He should move back in with Regina."

"He is with his mother." Snow answered quickly, her gaze nervously shifting to Regina's shocked expression.

"Not the one that has raised him. He belongs here."

"We are his family. He isn't going anywhere without us."

"I'm not asking you to leave him alone. I was thinking that Emma could move in as well." Cora smiled.

"What?" Snow and Charming asked simultaneously. Emma just stared at the older witch in front of her.

"Mother?!" Regina asked in surprise.

"It's perfect. Henry will be here, with both his mothers. It's a win-win situation."

"Absolutely not." Snow responded. David nodded his head in agreement.

"Okay." Emma said over her.

Snow turned to look at her. "Emma? This is a horrible idea! How can you be so quick to agree?"

"She's right. Henry should be allowed around Regina. He misses her, even if he won't admit it. If I do this, then at least I can keep watch on him. Plus, your apartment is too small for the four of us."

"Then we can find a new place." Snow said desperately. She knew that once Emma made up her mind, it would be nearly impossible to change her mind. Nothing she could say would stop Emma from moving into the mansion, but she would try anyways.

Emma shook her head. "It's okay." She turned to Regina. "I'll drop Henry off at school and bring our stuff here in the morning. Is that alright with you?"

Regina still looked flustered, but she caught her mother's look and took a deep breath. "That's just fine. I'll have the spare bedroom ready for you and Henry's room is already set."

"Great. Now that we have that settled, I'd like to get going. Not that it wasn't a nice night, but I'm not a fan of fancy dinners and tea and crap like that." Emma abruptly stood, breaking the awkward tension in the room. Her parents followed her lead. "So, ah thanks for having us. You don't have to show us to the door. I'll see you tomorrow."

Regina nodded slowly. She waited until she heard the front door click before turning to look at her mother. "What are you thinking? We can't have them move back in here! Henry wants nothing to do with me and Emma will probably tell her parents every single move we make. Not to mention the fact that we agreed that my pregnancy was going to remain a secret. How am I supposed to hide this with them here? Miss Swan may be a pain, but she isn't stupid. It won't take her long to put the pieces together. And once she does, the whole town will know."

Cora calmly waited for Regina's rant to end before she stood and moved to sit next to her. "You want Henry back, Regina. You can deny it all you want, but I know it's true. Every mother wants to be with her child. That's why I am here with you. Emma may tell her parents a lot, but she won't know everything, dear. And she will not find out about your pregnancy until we want her to."

She brushed Regina's hair away from her face before standing. "We should settle in for the night. Tomorrow will be a long day."

"I'll go up in a few minutes." Regina said. She sat back in the chair as she wondered what tomorrow was going to be like. Cora nodded and went upstairs.

Regina decided to do the dishes quickly before grabbing her coat and quietly leaving through the front door. She was halfway down the street when she heard her name being whispered. She turned around to see Zane catching up to her.

"Regina. Where are you going?" He asked as he matched her pace.

"Just to the marina. Watching the water is quite calming."

"To the marina? Anywhere in specific?" Zane raised his eyebrow in suspicion.

"Zane..." Regina started, but was interrupted by his laugh.

"I'm teasing you, Regina. You don't think I've made it my first priority to protect you? I know where you've been going."

"You do?"

"Yes. And he seems like a good guy, at least for a pirate. I like him. Just don't tell him that. It's fun watching him squirm." Zane's eyes sparkled in laughter.

Regina laughed. "Your secret is safe with me."

"As is yours with me. Your mother has no idea?"

"No, she doesn't. I'm hoping to get rid of her before... Well soon. I've finally found happiness with him and I won't allow my mother to take it away again."

Zane nodded in understanding. "Anything you need, M'lady. I'll help you in any way I can."

"Thank you." Regina gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as they reached the dock. They stopped walking and turned to face each other.

"I'm glad that you are happy, Regina. You truly deserve this." Zane watched as Regina smiled and blushed. "If he screws this up, I'll send my men to beat him."

Regina laughed again and gave him a hug. "Thank you so much, Zane. You have done so much for me, I do appreciate it."

"It was my pleasure. Now I shall leave you to find your pirate." Zane kissed her hand before heading towards town.

Regina watched him go as she thought about how lucky she was to have such a wonderful lieutenant. After a moment, she started making her way to the ship. She found Killian on the deck, looking across at the far side of the marina. Her heels announced her arrival and he turned to give her a big smile. She returned the smile before wrapping her arms around him and breathing in his scent.

"I didn't think you would be able to sneak over." Killian remarked.

"Mother decided on an early bedtime." Regina kissed him.

"Sounds like a good plan." Killian smiled before bringing his lips to hers again. He swiftly picked her up and spun her around before carrying her down the steps and into his bedroom. She laughed and tightened her arms. He carefully placed her on the bed and studied her.

He couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her rosy cheeks and her dark hair spread around her face.

"What?" She asked as she reached for his hands.

"You're so beautiful." Killian answered honestly, allowing her to pull him on the bed. She blushed furiously and bowed her head to avoid making eye contact with him. He lifted her face to kiss her. "I'm serious, love. You are beautiful. Our child is going to have dashing good looks. I mean, look at his parents." He lifted his chin to give her a good view of his profile.

Regina threw her head back in laughter. "Mhm. We may have a bit of trouble with her potential suitors."

Killian's look of horror was comical. "Absolutely not. There will be an arranged marriage. Whether we have a boy or girl, there will be no dating."

Regina smiled at his overprotectiveness. Although she was most certainly against arranged marriage, she thought it was adorable that Killian was already worrying about their child. "It's a good thing that we have quite a while before we have to worry about that."

Killian dramatically sighed in relief before pulling up her shirt to look at her belly. Regina laughed. "I'm only four weeks along, Killian. It's a little early to see anything."

"It doesn't matter." He lightly placed his hand on her stomach and watched as she shuddered slightly at the coolness. "Are you excited?"

"Of course. I can't wait to be a mother again. Although I am a bit worried about how much trouble our child is going to get in. Rumor has it that her father is a bit of a rascal." Regina teased.

Killian smirked. "I think you heard wrong, love."

"Oh, I'm sure." Regina smiled. "Are you nervous?"

He looked down at her stomach again. "A bit. The Lost Boys are the only children I've been around in decades."

"Don't be. You are going to be a wonderful father." She gave him a quick kiss. She moved to put her head on his chest.

He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. "I have to admit that I have no idea what I am doing."

Regina chuckled. "Neither do I. At least when it comes to the actual pregnancy part. But honestly, you just make it up as you go along. That's what I did with Henry."

"It's a good thing one of us has experience. You did a great job with Henry, you know. I spent some time with him yesterday."

"How is he doing?" Regina looked up at him, the worry evident in her eyes.

"He's okay. He wants you to know that he loves you." Killian slowly rubbed her back as she took deep breaths.

"I miss him." She admitted quietly. Regina remembered the reason she came to talk to him. "But my mother convinced Emma to move in my house with him."

Killian looked at her in surprise. He sat up, forcing her to do the same. "They are moving in with you? With your mother?"

Regina nodded. "I have no idea why Emma would ever agree to anything like that, but she did. I'm a little nervous about my mother being around Henry. I don't know why she wants him to be around me so badly. Especially because she expects our child to replace him."

"When are they moving in?"

"Tomorrow morning. What can I do? Henry still doesn't trust me. And keeping my pregnancy a secret will be difficult with the two of them around."

"Just relax and remember that Henry loves you. No matter what happens, you and Emma will keep him safe. You could always kick your mother out of the house." Killian said with a wink.

Regina laughed despite her nervousness. "That is true. I could suggest that she move back in here."

Killian placed his hand over his heart in mock horror. "You wouldn't do that to me."

"Are you sure about that?" Regina smiled before pushing him back on the bed. "It is partly your fault I'm in this position."

"Because I helped your mother get here instead of killing her or because you couldn't resist my good looks and got pregnant?" Killian asked cheekily.

Regina smacked his chest as she laughed. "Both." She answered before pressing her lips against his with a smile.

Killian responded eagerly. He easily rolled her so he was on top and pinned her wrists above her head. "Are you sure you want to threaten a pirate, Your Majesty?"

Regina gave him a smile that reminded him of when she caught him breaking into her castle. It was seductive and teasing at the same time. "I'm not afraid of you, Captain. You may be daring, but I know all your weaknesses." She kissed his jaw.

"You are my weakness, my love."

* * *

Regina pulled her shirt over her head quickly as Killian lazily watched her. She searched around for her shoes.

"It's quite rude to stare, love." Regina teased, mimicking his accent.

"Can you blame me? You are so gorgeous." Killian gave her a dazzling smile and grabbed her waist to pull her closer to him.

"Such a way with words. It really is too bad I can't keep you around all the time. You provide a nice ego boost." Regina smiled against his lips.

"Hm. Well, it's a good thing this world has cell phones. I can send you messages throughout the day and your mother will be none the wiser." Killian grinned back before kissing her on the nose and reaching beneath the bed to grab her shoes. He held them up for her with a smile.

Regina grabbed them and quickly put them on. She gave Killian a long kiss.

"Let me know how the moving goes, alright?" He asked.

She nodded. "I will."

"Good luck, love."

"Thanks, babe. I'll talk to you later." Regina waved as she headed up the stairs leading to the ship's deck. She checked the time on her phone and decided that it was too early for her mother to be up. She took her time walking home and quietly snuck in, heading straight for her bedroom. She figured it was too late to go back to bed, so she hopped in the shower to get ready for her day.


	17. Chapter 17

_here is the next chapter! :)_

* * *

Regina stood in front of the keurig, wondering if she could try to have coffee without getting sick. Drinking tea was certainly not the same as having coffee every morning and she found that she missed the strong flavors. She sighed before deciding to stick to chamomile tea, which was supposed to help with the nausea. She filled the kettle with enough water for both her and Cora and checked the time. It was almost eight am, meaning Emma should be here any minute. Regina wondered why her mother wasn't up yet when she heard a knock on the door.

She turned the stove off before she headed to the front and pulled open the door to see Emma holding a box. She gave her a small smile and stepped back so the blonde could walk in.

"Hey. Uh, where should I put this?" Emma asked, looking uncomfortable.

Regina pointed to the stairs. "Just put it there and we can bring it upstairs after. Do you need any help?"

Emma put the box where Regina pointed. "Sure. I don't have a lot and Henry just has some clothes. Most of his stuff is still here."

She was quiet as she followed Emma to her brightly colored car. Between the two of them, it didn't take long to carry the boxes inside. Emma moved to bring one upstairs when Cora appeared at the landing.

"There is a much easier way to do that, dear." She smiled and flicked her hands, making the boxes float. "Are these going to the guest room at the end of the hall?"

Regina shook her head. "The one next to my room."

Cora easily sent the boxes into the room and stepped back as Emma followed them. Regina watched her look around the hallway before moving into her new room. She poked her head out. "How many guest rooms do you have anyways?"

Regina shrugged. "It's a five bedroom house with three bathrooms. There is my room with an adjoining bathroom, Henry's room across the hall, yours, a bathroom, and my mother's on the other end." She pointed everything out in a zigzag pattern. "I'll show you downstairs."

She showed her everything and explained her house rules as she went along. "The office is off limits. My bedroom is next yours, so you know where to find me. Henry can answer any questions as well."

"Alright then. I'm gonna unpack and then we can talk or whatever." Emma said before bounding up the stairs, almost walking into Cora.

"This is going to be quite exciting, isn't it?" She said happily.

Regina just walked into the kitchen to finish making the tea. Cora quietly sat on a stool and watched her. It took a few minutes to heat the water. She put the tea bags in the water to soak for a couple more minutes before she handed a cup to her mother.

"What are your plans for the day?" She asked.

"I'm going into town to visit an old friend." Cora responded. She smiled at the look Regina gave her. "It's not your father, don't worry."

Regina shuddered. "Can we not casually talk about Rumple like that?"

"He is your father. There is no reason to hide it anymore."

"He may have..." Regina struggled for words, "created me, but he didn't raise me. My father will always be the man I grew up with. The man that you married."

"You have his determination, you know." Cora remarked as she studied Regina. She said nothing, so Cora continued. "You also have his flair for the dramatic."

Regina's face creased in confusion. "How do you mean?"

"When you came to Wonderland, instead of walking through the maze, you just burnt a hole through all of the walls. It wasn't exactly a subtle entrance. I saw your dresses when I found you in that vault. They must have made quite the statement. I heard quite a few stories as well."

Regina shifted uncomfortably at the memories her mother brought up. "Being dramatic made things interesting." She coughed and changed the subject back. "What else do we have in common?"

"You certainly have his temper." Cora's mouth twisted into a smile as she remembered Regina's reaction to the news about her father.

Regina gave her a small smile as she thought the same thing. She looked down to study her tea. "Do I remind you of him?"

"Of Rumple? Sometimes."

She looked back up to watch her mother. Cora seemed lost in thought. She took a deep breath before asking the question she wasn't sure she wanted answered. "Did you love him? Or was he right when he said you had me on purpose to ensure that you had a powerful child?"

Cora looked at her daughter. She opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Emma entering the kitchen. She spotted the fruit bowl on the counter and grabbed an apple before realizing where it came from.

Regina raised her eyebrow in amusement. "They aren't poisoned, Miss Swan. Would you like me to test it out for you?"

"Nope, I'm good. I'll just get something on the way to work." Emma carefully put the apple back with a smile. "I should be at the station in a few minutes."

"Alright. Does Henry know about this arrangement?" Regina asked.

"Yeah, he does."

"I can pick him up at the bus and bring him here after school."

Emma made a face. "He decided that he is old enough to walk home by himself."

Regina gave her a disapproving look. "He's only eleven. I'll pick him up. Dinner is always at six. If you are going to be late, let me know."

"You realize that I'm 28, right? You sound like my mother."

"Technically, she's your step-grandmother." Cora spoke up.

"That's so weird." Emma mumbled.

Regina ignored both of them. "You are going to be late, dear. Your parents are going to assume that I'm holding you hostage and burst through my front door." She held her mug against her lips. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Emma gave her a confused look before looking at the clock above the stove. "Right. I'll see you guys later."

"Goodbye, dear." Cora responded.

Emma ran upstairs to grab her jacket and left a minute later. Cora moved to answer Regina's earlier question but Regina interrupted her. "How long will you be gone with your friend?"

"A few hours. I'll probably leave in a half an hour."

"I'm going to read in the library. Have fun." Regina didn't wait for her response before heading into her favorite room. She had spent a lot of the past 28 years increasing her library and she was pretty proud of the collection she owned. She picked up the book she had been rereading for the past few days.

She read a few chapters of Wuthering Heights before her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and looked at the text.

_'Hey beautiful. How was the move?'_

Regina smiled as she read the text. She forgot to text Killian earlier. **"It was quick. Emma had to run to work and my mother is meeting a friend in a few minutes."**

His response was quick. _"So, you are going to be alone?"_

Regina chuckled as she typed out her response.** 'I suppose I am.'**

She had barely picked up her book when he answered. _'Text me when she leaves'_

**'Alright. It's about time you were the one doing the sneaking around. :)'**

_'Well you did say you would teach me how to make brownies... I think now is a good time. ;)'_

Regina nearly jumped out of her seat when Cora popped her head in the door. "Goodbye, dear."

"Goodbye, Mother." She answered with a quick smile. Cora left the room and Regina felt her magical presence disappear from the house a moment later. She picked up her phone again to answer Killian. **'She just left.**'

The doorbell rang less than a minute later and Regina bookmarked her page and quickly made her way to the door. Killian was standing on her doorstep with his hands behind his back. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door. "That was pretty fast."

"I couldn't keep my Queen waiting, could I?" He smirked and handed her a bouquet of red roses before kissing her on the cheek and pulling her inside the house. She closed the door behind him and smelled the flowers.

"I suppose not. Thank you." She gestured to the flowers.

"Of course, my love."

Regina grabbed his hand and pulled him into the kitchen. She found a vase and put the flowers in it, making sure to put them on display on the island. She also grabbed the ingredients for brownies and put them out on the counter. She laughed at the way Killian's eyes sparkled in excitement. He followed Regina's directions and created the mix. She preheated the oven and poured the mix into a pan. Killian dipped his fingers in the mix and tested it. "This is delicious."

She laughed. "Keep your hands out of the mix, Killian."

Killian picked her up and put her on the counter. "What else am I supposed to do with my hands then, love?" He asked as his hands moved across her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him closer and thread her fingers through his hair.

"I have a few ideas..." Regina pulled him into a kiss. "It's too bad you don't have time." She smirked and tried to move off the counter.

"What?" Killian refused to move, so she was stuck.

She laughed. "My mother could be home any time and we have brownies to cook, remember? You can put them in the oven now, love." She teased.

Killian obeyed and she pointed out how to set the timer. He returned to his position, but placed his hands on either side of her. "So how do you suggest we pass the time, dear?"

Regina shrugged innocently as Killian leaned closer. He captured her lips with his own. He pulled away after a minute, much to her disappointment. She pretended to pout. He laughed and reached behind her. He stuck his fingers in the mixing bowl and smeared it on her nose. Her face turned to one of shock before she smacked his chest. He laughed loudly, and she couldn't help but join him. After a few minutes they were both breathless. Regina raised her hand to wipe her face, but he stopped her.

"Killian." She whined. He smirked as he pulled out his phone and took a quick picture. She gave him a look. "That better not end up anywhere."

"I wouldn't dare it." He kissed her nose, only succeeding in spreading the brownie mix further. He laughed and she smacked him again.

"What the hell?" A voice sounded behind them. Regina jumped off the counter in surprise and turned, wrapping her arm around her stomach in a defensive position. Killian pulled her behind him and grabbed a knife off the counter. When they saw who it was, they relaxed slightly. Killian put the knife down.

"Emma!?" Regina exclaimed. She quickly grabbed a napkin to wipe her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask him the same thing." She nodded to Hook. "I thought you were on our side! But you're here! I should have known that you wouldn't stay on our side."

Killian shook his head. "It isn't what you think."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Uh huh. Whose heart did you take this time?"

"Just mine." Regina said low enough that only Killian heard. He held back a smirk and he looked down.

"I didn't do anything wrong. Look, I want Cora gone just as much as you do."

"How does flirting with Regina accomplish that?" Emma crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway.

Regina blushed and pushed her hair behind her ears. She turned around to check on the brownies. Killian watched her for a moment before looking at Emma. "She knows Cora better than anyone else. Your plan won't work without her."

Regina looked up quickly. "What plan?"

Emma looked annoyed. Killian just smirked at her. "I'm no traitor. You can fill her in."

"Fill me in about what? You have a plan to get rid of my mother?" Regina looked between the two of them.

"Gold is going to make a potion to strip her of magic." Emma finally answered.

She looked thoughtful for a moment as she tried to recall what potion would be able to do that. "It will take him months to grow the ingredients."

"We've already started. He is going to teach me to make it in case your mother decides to control him. If you say one word to her-"

"I won't." Regina interrupted. "If he makes it, I can get her to take it. But it will be very painful for her."

Killian pulled her closer so he could rub circles on her back. Emma watched them closely. "So the Evil Queen and Captain Hook. This is an interesting twist. How long have you been together?"

"As far as anyone is concerned, we aren't. No one can know, Miss Swan."

Emma nodded. "So it's serious then? If this was just a casual hookup, you wouldn't really care."

Regina and Killian shared a look before she responded. "It's very serious. I want my mother gone before she destroys my life again. It's too dangerous for me to go against her, so for now I'm 'working' with her. Killian is truly on your side. We both are."

"Why should I believe either of you?"

"Can't you tell that we aren't lying to you?" Killian asked her. He reached over to intertwine his fingers with Regina's.

"Why now?" Emma asked. "We've given you both chances before, so why are you helping now?"

"Because we have a lot to look forward to. Because I've been trying to be a better mother for Henry. I can't do that with her around. And I can't defeat her on my own." Regina answered.

"We need to work together if we want to get rid of her. You have to trust us." Killian finished for her.

"Okay." Emma decided. The relief was clear on both Killian and Regina's faces. Emma looked away as they locked lips. "Uh, you might want to grab the brownies."

Regina quickly spun around and grabbed a towel before pulling the pan out of the oven. "They're fine."

"Yes!" Killian reached over her to grab a piece, not realizing hot it was. Regina smacked his hand away before he could touch anything.

"Patience, dear."

It was Killian's turn to pout as she smiled. She looked back at Emma. "Do you want some?"

"Sure." Emma shrugged. She was still a bit wary of Regina's cooking, but she figured if Killian ate some it wasn't poisoned. The blonde moved from the doorway to sit at the island. "So why is this potion going to be painful for her?"

Regina avoided looking at her as she began cutting the brownies and carefully placing them on two platters. "She's lived with magic for a long time. It's become a part of her. Separating her from the power will be like... tearing her heart out."

Killian grimaced in the memory of Cora holding onto his heart. He subconsciously rubbed his chest and Regina glanced up at him. He shook his head. "Her heart isn't in her chest. I tried to kill her, but it wasn't there."

Regina nodded slowly as Emma looked horrified. "You knew that she doesn't have a heart?"

The older woman shrugged. "She's never been an affectionate person but when I was younger she used to hug me. I never felt her heartbeat. I didn't realize until I was older that she had taken her own heart out."

"That's screwed up. Where did she put it?"

"I have no idea. It shouldn't affect the potion though."

"Is there any possible way to grow the ingredients faster?" Killian asked. He snatched a brownie from the tray and happily started munching on it.

Regina raised her eyebrow in amusement. "Fairy dust might hurry it a bit."

"I'll have Grumpy try that." Emma said as she pulled out her phone to text the dwarf.

"There has to be something we can do until it's ready. It isn't healthy for you to be around her." Killian looked at Regina.

She sighed. "I'm going to be okay. I'm pretty good at manipulating too. It shouldn't be hard for me to convince her that I'm on her side. She already believes that I trust her. I just need to get her to trust me."

Killian gave her a dubious look. Emma grabbed a brownie and looked at her phone again. She sighed and shook her head. Regina turned to look at her. "Let me guess, Grumpy doesn't want to take my advice and use the fairy dust."

Emma gave her a blank look. "Uh, no. I didn't tell him it was your idea, I just told him to do it. It's David that I'm annoyed with."

"Trouble with your perfect family? How shocking." Regina said sarcastically.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Funny. He and Mary Margaret are mad that I agreed to move in with Henry. He always treats me like a child. I just wish he would realize that I'm an adult, not the baby he put in the tree."

"Yes, well I can't imagine the Savior moving in with the Evil Queen and the Queen of Hearts is good for their perfect reputation. How is the town taking the news, anyways?" Regina smirked when Emma looked down. "You haven't told them."

"They are still pissed that your mother murdered the Blue Fairy."

The smirk fell off Regina's face. "I didn't know she was going to do that. I hated the Blue Fairy, but I never would have killed her."

"I know. It was pretty clear when you refused to squeeze her heart. I think that you really are changing for Henry so right now, I trust you. That's why I agreed to move in. But if you break that trust, you will regret it because you will never see Henry again. Got it?"

Regina clenched her jaw at the threat of losing her son, but she nodded anyways. Killian squeezed her hand in support. "So if the Blue Fairy is dead, who is in charge now?"

"Astrid. Or I think as you know her, Nova."

"Hm. I suprised that they chose her, considering her young age, but she has a lot of potential. She will be very helpful." Regina looked thoughtful.

"Woah, wait a sec. You can't mess with her. She's a fairy, she can't be bad."

Regina raised her eyes towards the ceiling in annoyance. "I'm not going to turn her to the dark side, dear. However, she needs to learn more about all types of magic. The Blue Fairy had quite a bit of control over what they learned. They know very little of the dark magic that my mother dabbles in and they had to stick to a ton of rules, like the one that prevents them from helping kids touched by dark magic. It's about time things change for them. Astrid can help them start that change."

"Alright..." Emma said slowly.

"I'll find her tomorrow." Regina checked the time before wrapping one of the platters with saran wrap. "My mother will probably be back soon."

She handed the wrapped plate to Killian, who grinned and pulled her into a kiss. Emma looked uncomfortable as she excused herself from the room. Regina watched her leave before Killian wrapped his arms around her.

"Do you think she will keep our secret?" He asked quietly.

"She better. I'll talk to her later." She kissed him. "I'm sorry that I have to kick you out."

"No worries, love. I'll talk to you later." He let her go and kissed her on the cheek. He moved towards the door, but stopped to hold up the platter. "Thanks for showing me how to make brownies. And for giving me fantastic blackmail material."

Regina rolled her eyes at his confident grin. "Go home, Killian. If anyone else sees that picture, I'll send my army after you."

"I'm a pirate. I'm pretty good at getting out of trouble." He winked and disappeared out the back door.

"Or causing it." Regina said under her breath. She shook her head and started cleaning up the kitchen. Emma came downstairs just as she was finished loading the dishwasher. The blonde sat at the island again. The kitchen remained silent, and Regina could feel Emma's gaze on her back. "What is it, Miss Swan?"

"Nothing... I just- I'm glad that you are on our side." She nervously spit out.

"The sooner my mother is dealt with, the sooner I can move on with my life." Regina responded as she turned around. She leaned against the clean sink behind her and crossed her arms.

"By moving on with Hook?"

"Yes. I will not allow history to repeat itself, Sheriff. If you say one word of us to anyone, my mother will be the last of your worries. Do you understand?"

Emma looked irritated as she nodded. "You have my word."

Regina gave her a tight smile. "Forgive me if I don't trust your word. After all, your mother promised me she would keep my secret but she did not."

"What happened?" Emma studied Regina as she looked away. Her arms tightened across her chest and her face seemed to harden. "I only know bits and pieces about why you hate my mother so much."

"You can ask her yourself."

"I want both sides of the story."

Regina raised her eyebrow. "Are you sure you are the daughter of Snow and Charming? They never care about both sides."

Emma shrugged. "I broke your curse like Gold predicted, didn't I?"

"True. I suppose I should be glad you didn't inherit all their traits."

"What, you don't think that I'm charming?" Emma gave the brunette her most charming smile.

Regina laughed and shook her head. "I think I know who Henry got his puppy dog look from."

"Puppy dog look? That was supposed to be charming!" Emma shook her head. "Besides, Henry definitely got that from his father."

"What happened to him? If you don't mind my asking."

"You won't tell me about why you hate my mom, but you expect me to answer your questions about Henry's dad?"

Regina grinned. "Basically. I am pretty good at listening, you know. I won't judge you if you want to talk about him."

Emma sighed before pointing to the chair next to her. Regina moved to sit in it and faced the blonde. She relaxed and waited for her to begin.

"His name is Neal. I met him when I stole the car he was sleeping in. After he stole it."

Regina raised her eyebrow in amusement, but didn't comment. Emma smiled before continuing. "It was... a whirlwind romance I guess. It was dangerous and exciting and I just fell for him. After a few months of being on the run, we decided to settle down together in Tallahassee. But first, we had to fence some watches Neal had stolen. He was supposed to meet me after, but instead the police showed up. I was arrested and thrown into jail for eleven months."

"He set you up." Regina stated quietly. Her sentence was not a question, but Emma nodded anyways.

"Yeah. I found out later that it was because of August."

"August? As in Pinocchio?"

"Uh huh. Somehow, he found out that Neal was... he convinced him that it was my destiny to break the curse and being with him only got in the way. So Neal left me. I found out that I was pregnant with Henry while I was in prison."

"So Neal just believed this stranger about a curse that you had to break?"

"Well yeah. Neal is sorta Gold's son, Baelfire." Emma said quietly.

Regina looked stunned as she tried to form words. She finally settled on a simple question. "What?"

"Yeah, I know. It's weird and awkward and I swear I had no idea until we got to New York."

"So Henry is Rumpelstiltskin's grandson? And Neal is my... brother." Regina put her head in her hands for a moment. "That is going to make things difficult."

"You're telling me. Imagine his next birthday party. Even if we only invited his family, it would still be half the town. Not to mention the fact that his family hates each other."

Regina couldn't help but laugh at how absurd her life turned out to be. Emma looked at her like she had completely lost it, but joined her after a moment. She felt better about how ridiculous the whole Neal/Baelfire situation turned out to be. Despite all the crap the former mayor had put her through, Emma couldn't help but enjoy her company. This woman was much happier and lighter than the woman that tried to keep her from Henry. She wondered when that change had occurred.

"Well this is quite the sight." Cora interrupted her thoughts. She stood in the doorway.

"Mother. How was your visit with your friend?" Regina swallowed her laughter and casually changed the subject.

"Fine, dear." She glanced at Emma and the plate of brownies in front of her. "You made brownies again? It's a good thing you don't have to wear corsets in this world."

Regina ignored her mother's biting remark. She realized that Cora was incapable of hiding her criticism because she honestly thought it would help her. She sighed. "I'm going to continue reading in the library. Miss Swan, if you want an actual lunch, feel free to have whatever you like."

She waited for Emma to nod before heading back to her library, hoping that her mother would not follow. She sighed as she picked up her book and continued reading.

* * *

i like the idea of emma and regina being sorta friends. do you guys agree? did you like the cute little scene between killian, regina, and brownie mix? :)


	18. Chapter 18

_this is a short but sweet chapter :) t minus four hours before 'the miller's daughter'! ahhh i'm so excited! _

* * *

The next few hours passed by quickly as she lost herself in the world of _Wuthering Heights_. She glanced at her watch and realized it was nearly time for her to pick Henry up. Regina put her book down and put her coat on before grabbing her car keys. She left a note for her mother letting her know where she was going and hurried out the door. The drive was routine, something she had done for years until Henry moved out. Once she arrived at the bus stop, she shut off her car and got out. She leaned against the side as she waited for Henry.

Regina started to think about her child. She wondered if she was going to have a boy or a girl. The former Evil Queen didn't have a preference; as long as they had a healthy child. She pushed aside any nervous thoughts and thought about how happy she was. She knew Killian was also nervous, but he was completely over the moon. He was so excited to be a father. She thought about the look on his face when he peeked at her stomach the previous night. His excitement was contagious and she couldn't help but wish they could be together now. But Cora was a danger to both Killian and their child so they had to deal with her first. Regina realized that the potion would likely be ready as she was nearing her due date. She hoped she would be able to finally free them from Cora before she could try anything.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice the dirty looks other parents were giving her. She also didn't notice the bus pull up and Henry step off. He moved to walk home, but realized his mother was waiting across the street. He looked both ways as Regina had taught him before crossing the street. Regina felt her sleeve being tugged and looked down to see Henry standing in front of her. She gave him a warm smile.

"Hey, how was school?"

Henry just shrugged. "Fine. Didn't Emma tell you that I'm old enough to walk home? She doesn't pick me up anymore."

"I'm not Emma." Regina gave him a look before getting back in the car. He sat in the backseat as usual.

The ride home was awkward as Regina tried to engage Henry in a conversation, but he just gave her short answers. After a few minutes, she sighed and gave up. She pulled her car into the driveway and they both stepped out. Henry hurried into the house and Regina paused for a moment before following him inside. She pulled her coat off and hung it up as she noticed Henry's shoes carelessly left next to the door and his coat dangling on the banister. She rolled her eyes, but decided to leave them there. She found Henry in the kitchen rummaging through the cabinets.

He pulled out the package of Oreos and smiled at her. "You still buy these? I thought you hated them because they aren't very healthy."

Regina shrugged. "They're your favorite snack."

She echoed his bright smile. He sat down at the island with the snack and a cup of milk and she waited a moment before joining him. Henry looked pensive as he dipped an Oreo in the milk. He popped it in his mouth and chewed before turning to look at her. "Did you make Emma move us here?"

Regina couldn't help but feel hurt at Henry's question, but she took a deep breath and tried to hide the pain on her face. "No. I promise you, Henry. I had nothing to do with this. My mother suggested that you move back in and Emma agreed on her own."

Henry seemed to be studying her face for any signs of dishonesty. He nodded and continued eating. "Are you using magic again?"

"I'm trying not to." Regina answered honestly.

"Regina!" The sound of Cora's voice startled them both.

"In the kitchen!" Regina replied. She and Henry both turned to look at the kitchen doorway.

Cora appeared there a moment later. Her gaze settled on Henry. She gave him a sweet smile. "You must be Henry. It's so wonderful to finally meet my grandson."

Regina automatically put her arm around Henry in a protective manner. Cora's smile never faltered, but her eyes showed her irritation. Regina saw that and loosed her grip on him. Henry looked up at her before nodding at Cora.

"Yeah, I'm Henry. Obviously, you are Cora."

"I am." She looked up at Regina, though her words were directed at Henry. "You have a wonderful name, dear."

"Thanks. It was my... your husband's name, right?" Henry looked up at Regina for confirmation. She nodded at him.

"Yes, my dear old husband. What a shame he never made it to this world. He would have loved to meet you." Cora answered.

"What was he like?" Henry asked. His question was innocent, but Regina knew she had to change the subject before her mother said something bad about her husband.

"He was a kind, caring man, whom I loved very much. I'll tell you about him more after you do your homework, okay?"

Henry looked excited and gave her a big smile. "Okay. I'll start now." He cleaned up his snack and moved to leave.

"Henry? What do you say?" Regina nodded towards Cora.

"Oh, right. It was nice to meet you."

"Of course dear. I'm sure we will get to know each other quite well."

Henry just grabbed his backpack and moved into the dining room to start his work. Cora smiled at her daughter. "He seems like a well-mannered boy. Good job, dear."

"Thank you, Mother." Regina said through her teeth. She stood to put Henry's empty glass in the dishwasher. Cora sat where Henry had been. Regina wiped her hands across her face.

"Are you alright, dear?"

"Just tired. The doctor said that's a pretty common symptom."

"Why don't you go upstairs and rest then?"

"I can't. Emma would have a heart attack if I left Henry alone with you." Regina rolled her eyes. Of course she agreed, but her mother didn't have to know that.

Cora pressed her lips together. "Of course. Well from now on, you can rest while he is at school."

Regina nodded. She wouldn't mind taking a nap. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and pulled it out. She bit her lip to hide the smile that threatened to emerge when she saw that she had a new message from Killian.

_'Shall I make Emma walk the plank or is she with us?'_

**'She is with us.'**

_'Good. I think her parents would be a bit mad if she suddenly disappeared. But I can keep an eye on her if you'd like.'_

**'That would be perfect, thank you.'**

"Mom!" Henry called from the other room. Regina excused herself from the room and moved into the dining room. Henry looked up as she entered. "Can you correct my essay, please?"

"Of course, dear." Regina gave him a smile and sat next to him. She was honestly surprised that he asked for her help after all that happened. It reminded her of before the curse, when Henry loved her unconditionally. She used to pick him up after school and bring him back to her office, where they would both get work done. She never minded when he interrupted her paperwork with math problems or science questions.

Henry returned her smile before turning his attention to his history homework. Regina checked his paper, marking any spelling errors and fixing a few sentences so they were phrased better. She handed it back to him after a few minutes. "Good job, Henry."

She noted the surprise that filtered across his face. "Thanks."

"Do you think I was too critical with you?" Regina said before she could catch herself. With her mother's arrival in Storybrooke, she was reminded of the constant criticism she received as she grew up. It made her wonder if she had been the same way with Henry. Did her critical words push her son away as it had pushed her away from Cora so many years ago?

Henry looked down at his hands. "Sometimes. I mean, you used to be really intense about school and everything. I used to feel like I always disappointed you, not matter how hard I tried."

Regina leaned back in her chair and ran her hand through her hair as she released a shaky breath. Henry's words brought back so many childhood memories and she felt horrible for making him feel like she did. She could feel the tears building in her eyes and she blinked a few times to get rid of them. She leaned forward again and lifted Henry's face so she could look at him. "Henry, I'm so sorry I made you feel that way. You are the most intelligent, caring boy I have ever known, and I am so proud of you. You could never disappoint me, Henry. Do you know why?"

Henry shook his head.

"You are my little hero." Regina paused to watch Henry's eyes light up. Her lips curved into a smile. "When I adopted you, I was so happy. I knew the instant I held you for the first time that I loved you so, so much. I know that I haven't been very good about showing you that, but I promise that my love for you has never changed. I apologize for being controlling and critical. I was just afraid that I would lose you."

"Because you lose everyone that you love?"

Regina smiled at her son's intelligence. He had always been incredibly perceptive. She nodded and answered simply. "Yes."

"I love you too, Mom. You aren't going to lose me just because I have another mom. I love both of you." Henry said.

Instead of saying anything, Regina just pulled Henry into a hug. She savored the feeling of him returning the hug before she pulled away and stood. She smoothed down her skirt and smiled. "I'm going to start dinner, alright? Let me know if you need anymore help."

Henry nodded and turned to his homework again. Regina left the dining room, but stood at the door for a moment. She needed to compose herself before she went back into the kitchen with her mother again. She took a few deep breaths and wiped her eyes. The damn pregnancy hormones were already making her crazy. She couldn't help but smile at that thought and she gently rubbed her stomach. Henry was going to be a wonderful big brother. She couldn't wait to tell him.

But for now, she had to start dinner.


	19. Chapter 19

_i'm sorry for the super long wait! i'll hopefully upload the next chapter sometime this weekend_

* * *

Regina heard Emma return to the mansion a little after five. Dinner was in the oven so she and Cora were both sitting at the island. Regina was writing in a small journal while her mother was flipping through a book she picked from the library. The house was quiet so Emma's footsteps echoed in the hallway. She poked her head in the kitchen a moment later.

"Hey. Where is Henry?"

"He is reading in his room." Regina responded without looking up. Emma snorted at the sight of the pair so engrossed in what they were doing. She was familiar with Regina's face of concentration, but now she knew where she got it from. Cora was wearing the same face now. Neither one of them looked up as Emma left the room.

The room was silent again, the only noises being the scribble of Regina's pen and the crisp turn of pages. Emma joined them again a few minutes later. She peeked in the oven to see crispy chicken. The delicious smell wafted out of the oven to fill the room.

"Smells good. Do you need any help making anything else?"

Regina looked up this time, but her gaze landed on the clock before turning to Emma. "No thank you, dear. The salad is already made and I'll make gravy and stuffing a bit closer to six."

"Alright. Henry did his homework?"

"Yes. He did quite well before going upstairs to read his comics." Regina put down her pen and leaned back in her chair. "Is your father still irritating you?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "Yup. But at least it was quiet at the station. Thankfully, people are keeping to themselves because of your army's presence around town."

"Fear is a powerful weapon, dear." Cora answered. She kept her eyes on the page.

Regina sighed but nodded. "She's right. People will do what you want if they are afraid."

"Is that how you ruled your kingdom?" Emma asked bravely.

"No. My subjects loved me. My husband refused to let me participate in any type of ruling, but I studied the other kingdoms anyways. I saw what worked in the past and what didn't. After Leopold's death, I instituted the farming technique that one of the neighboring kingdoms had used years before. It worked, so we had a surplus of food. My people were happy and they began to respect me. There were a number of other things I changed as Queen as well."

"But they called you the Evil Queen."

"My subjects did not. It was your mother that gave me that name while she was visiting a friend in another kingdom. The 'nickname' spread through the land and eventually I just lived up to it." Regina shrugged, but it was clear that she was not a fan of the title.

Emma sat quietly, absorbing the words. "Why didn't he allow you to rule? You were the queen, after all."

"He had Snow to succeed him. In his mind, she would take over from him when she was ready. There was no need for me to know how to rule, because I would never have the chance to. I was just the trophy wife."

"Mary Margaret makes him sound like a fantastic guy."

Regina nodded. "Snow was completely oblivious to anyone but herself. She wasn't always the perfect princess you see in Henry's book. Like most princesses, she was a spoiled brat."

"Just like her mother." Cora said. There was a dark edge to her tone. "Darling Eva was also an entitled brat."

"Not according to Leopold. She was absolutely perfect." Regina responded sarcastically.

"She was most certainly not when she was younger." There was barely controlled anger on Cora's face as she recalled a memory from long ago.

"Did you know her?" Emma asked Cora. Regina turned to look at her mother.

Cora nodded. "Yes. I met her before I married Henry. She was visiting King Xavier's kingdom."

"My grandfather." Regina raised her eyebrows. She recalled her father talking about him when she was young.

"Wait, that would mean you were a princess." Emma said to Cora. Her eyes grew wide.

"I was fifth in line for the crown." She gave Regina a twisted smile. "There would have to be a lot of bloodshed before Henry became King, but I knew that no matter what I would make sure that you were Queen. And I did."

Regina looked horrified. "At what cost? Daniel wasn't the only one who died for me to be queen, was he?"

Cora waved her hand dismissively as she turned back to her book. "What's done is done, my love."

Emma watched Regina compose herself. Her face was masked by an unreadable expression that reminded Emma of the former mayor. Regina took a deep breath, closed her journal, and stood. She pulled out the ingredients to make the gravy and stuffings and quietly started making them.

The kitchen was silent as Cora continued reading and Regina finished making dinner. Emma got up to set the table and helped Regina. Together, it didn't take them long to finish.

"Dinner is ready, Mother. Emma, could you let Henry know?" Regina asked as she brought the last plate into the dining room.

Emma nodded and went up to Henry's room. She and Henry joined Cora and Regina at the dining room table. The dinner was quiet, despite Emma's attempts to break the awkward silence. It was clear that Cora did not wish to talk and everyone else felt uncomfortable about speaking up. Emma eventually gave up and ate quickly instead. Henry followed suit, eager to go back upstairs to his comics. Both of them hoped their time in the manor would not be as silent. Once everyone was done, Cora snapped her fingers and the plates disappeared.

"Join me for tea in the other room, dear." She said as she stood and left the room.

"Henry, why don't you show Emma our movie collection? You can make popcorn and watch whatever you like." Regina suggested.

Henry nodded eagerly before standing and grabbing Emma's hand. He dragged her into the living room. Regina chuckled and followed her mother into her study. She waved her hand and smiled as her tea set appeared on the table in front of Cora. Tea time was something she had hated as a child, but for now she didn't mind sitting through it. Regina could sense her mother's anger hiding just below her calm surface. She didn't know what happened when she met her friend, but she knew enough to recognize when her mother was in one of her moods. She also knew enough that know what would happen if she disobeyed her mother now. She took a deep breath and tried to recall all the lessons her mother taught her during tea time.

"How are you feeling, dear?" Cora poured them both tea and handed one to Regina.

"I'm alright." She paused and wondered if she should ask about her lunch meeting.

"Good. Henry seems to be a good boy. I'm proud of you, dear. You've done such a wonderful job with him."

Regina couldn't help but feel happy at her mother's words. Despite the fact that she was a grown woman and a mother herself, she always craved Cora's affection. "Thank you, Mother."

"Of course, my love." Cora set down her cup on the table. "I'm going to retire for the evening. I will be meeting someone tomorrow as well."

"Alright. Will you be gone awhile?" Regina asked. Cora gave her a suspicious look so she backpedaled. "I thought maybe we could discuss names for the baby together."

Cora looked pleased at her answer and Regina sighed in relief.

"I will be gone for a few hours. We can discuss names after. Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, mother." Regina sat thinking for a moment before moving to join Emma and Henry in the other room.

Henry handed her a bowl of popcorn with a smile on his face. She sat down and waited for Emma to put the movie in. "What are we watching?"

Emma grinned and gave Henry a conspiratorial look. "You'll see."

Regina rolled her eyes. When the screen turned to the main menu, she gasped. "The Exorcist? Absolutely not. Henry isn't allowed to watch anything above PG-13. Where did this even come from?"

"My personal collection. Henry will be fine. Unless you're scared." Emma said.

"Of course not." Regina knew it was a challenge, and she never backed down from challenges. But, she wasn't a fan of her 11-year-old son watching a horror movie. "But Henry-"

"I'll be fine. Kids in my class have seen this before. I'm not a little kid anymore." Henry said confidently. He puffed out his chest, as if that would make him seem older.

"Yeah, it will be fine. It's no big deal." Emma added.

Regina sighed in defeat. "Fine. But don't come crying to me later." She crossed her arms and grabbed the remote from Emma. She pressed play and sat back


	20. Chapter 20

Two hours later found Henry curled up in Regina's side. His head was buried in her shoulder as she tried not to laugh. Emma had inched closer to him throughout the movie to "protect him", though Regina was quite sure that it was because she was terrified as well. As the end credits rolled, she glanced around the room. In a moment of fear, Henry had thrown his nearly full bowl of popcorn in the air, so now the three of them were covered in the buttery snack.

Emma stood and quickly turned on the lights.. "See, that wasn't so bad." She said unconvincingly.

Regina raised her eyebrow. Henry stood and gave her an apologetic smile when more of the popcorn landed on the floor. "Uh, I'll get the broom."

He disappeared into the other room. Emma studied Regina's face. "You weren't the least bit scared, were you?"

"Seeing possessed people is a lot scarier in real life. The movies don't really do it justice." She stood and stretched.

Emma's mouth dropped open. "You mean that actually happens?"

"Honestly, Miss Swan. You live in a town with a bunch of fairytale characters. You don't think that anything can happen?" Regina leaned closer. "I heard that there was a breakout in the asylum. I had one of the possessed girls in there. I wouldn't worry about it, but if you hear something outside your window tonight, you should probably run."

Regina gave her a teasing smile before heading into the kitchen. Emma stood there dumbfounded before deciding that Regina was kidding. There was no way that things like that could happen. But then again, she said the same thing when Henry told her about the curse. She followed the former mayor. "Regina! Wait a sec. Are you serious?"

"Serious about what?" Henry poked his head in the doorway. He held the broom and dustpan in his hands.

"Nothing, sweetheart. Don't forget to get behind the couch, too. And in it. And under it for that matter." Regina answered as she remembered the explosion of popcorn.

Henry gave her a sheepish smile before going to clean up. Emma just shook her head. "Seriously though, that's just fiction. Stuff like that doesn't happen. It's just meant to scare people."

"If you're sure, dear." Regina smiled. She checked the time. She was completely exhausted. "I have to talk to Nova in the morning, so I should go to bed now. I assume you can handle getting Henry to bed?"

"Yep. We're fine. 'Night."

"Goodnight." Regina headed to say good night to Henry as well before going to her room. She got ready quickly and sunk into her bed. She sighed, thankful to finally be able to sleep.

* * *

A noise woke Regina a few hours later. Her room was dark, the only light being the faint glow of the moon through the window. She allowed her eyes to adjust to the lack of light before looking around. Nothing seemed out of place. She shook her head and decided that she had imagined the noise. She closed her eyes again before she heard the slow turn of her doorknob. This time, she sat up and watched the door as it slowly opened.

"Mom?" Henry poked his head in the room and Regina breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes, sweetheart? What's wrong?"

"I- nothing. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Henry said quickly. He looked around her room nervously, as if something was going to pop out of the shadows.

Regina smiled. Whenever Henry used to have nightmares, he would come into her room and use the same excuse. He was always embarrassed about having bad dreams, so she would let him sleep with her or wait until he was ready to talk about his dream. She had found that saying she had nightmares too made him feel better. "Well thank goodness you came in here. I was just thinking about the movie and I couldn't sleep. Will you stay with me?"

Henry gave her a knowing smile. "Of course." He climbed in the bed and Regina pulled the covers over him as well. He made himself comfortable and relaxed. He wasn't afraid when he was with his mom.

"Thank you, Henry."

"Don't worry, mom. I can protect you." Henry answered sleepily. It was the same response he always gave, and hearing it made her wonder if things could ever go back to the way it was before he stopped trusting her. She knew he was still mad at her, but she hoped that eventually, she could earn his trust and love back.

Henry closed his eyes as Regina brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Goodnight, mom."

"Goodnight, sweetheart." Regina watched his sleeping form for a few minutes before she fell asleep again.

* * *

i love when henry is nice to regina :) sorry for the short update, hopefully more to come home soon!


	21. Chapter 21

_this is a fairly long chapter, as is the next one. the next 5 weeks are going to be hell without any new episodes :( but i'll try to speed my writing along :)_

* * *

It was quite early when Regina woke again. She looked down to realize that in his sleep, Henry had wrapped his arms around her. She smiled and pressed a kiss to his head. She took a deep breath before noticing that she felt nauseous. She realized that she was going to be sick so she carefully but quickly untangled herself from her son. She hurried to the bathroom downstairs so she wouldn't wake Henry up. She made it just in time to be sick. After a few minutes, her stomach was empty and she shakily stood. She rinsed her mouth with water before going back upstairs to brush her teeth.

Henry was still sleeping soundly in her bed. She watched him for a few minutes. He made her think of a young boy she met almost 29 years ago. A boy that was the first to show kindness to her for the first time since Daniel died. She sighed as she recalled the mistakes she made after meeting him.

Regina figured that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, so she decided to start breakfast. She would have to wake Henry up for school soon anyways. She quietly walked back downstairs and into the kitchen. It took her just a few minutes to start making the pancakes and bacon.

She lost herself in the cooking, so she didn't hear the soft patter of Emma's footsteps into the kitchen a few minutes later. She turned to see the blonde standing behind her and gasped.

"Emma!? What are you doing up?" Regina put her hand to her chest in surprise.

"I heard you go down the stairs and then I smelt food. Do you always get up this early to make breakfast?" Emma pulled her hair into a ponytail as she spoke. She opened the fridge and pulled out the milk before grabbing two glasses from the cabinet.

Regina watched Emma as she poured the milk and handed her a glass, which the brunette accepted before turning to flip the pancake. "Not recently. I used to love waking up early to eat breakfast with Henry before school and work. He loved helping when he was younger. Usually, the batter ended up everywhere and I had to give him a quick bath. We were always late those mornings."

She gave Emma a soft smile as she recalled some of her favorite memories. Emma laughed, despite the fact she felt guilty for taking Henry away from Regina. "No wonder why he insisted on going to Granny's for breakfasts. He was used to Rachel Ray, not Eggo Waffles."

"You gave him Eggo Waffles for breakfast?"

Emma gave her a sheepish look. "I can't cook, alright? It was either that or cereal."

"Henry is a growing boy. You can't give him that crap."

"Sorry." Emma shrugged.

Regina glared at her before rolling her eyes. She put a few pancakes on the plate in front of Emma and turned the bacon over in the pan. She added more batter to the pan to cook.

Emma grinned in delight and smothered a pancake in butter. She hummed in satisfaction as she savored the delicious flavor. "Is this an apple pancake? I think I should be afraid because of the last time you gave me something apple, but this is fantastic."

The former mayor chuckled as she flipped the browned pancakes. "Yes, it is apple. I'm making chocolate chip pancakes for Henry because I doubt he will eat the apple ones."

Her face displayed the pain she felt over what she did to her son. Accident or not, she felt horrible for harming him. Emma gave her a small smile before changing the subject.

"Where did you learn to cook so well?" She asked her in between bites.

Regina stiffened slightly. "One of our cooks taught me how." She paused for a moment to allow a small smile to grace her lips before continuing. "Her name was Clara. I met her when I hid in the kitchen after one of my mother's lessons. She found me and made me dinner. I was curious, so I watched her cook. She was so kind to me that day that I often returned to visit her. My mother believed cooking was for servants, so she taught me in secret. Clara came to be like a mother to me so I spent a lot of time cooking with her."

Emma smiled at the thought of the secret cooking lessons. Her smile faded as she thought about Regina's initial reaction to her question. "But your mother found out, didn't she?"

"Yes." Regina gave her a rueful smile. "I missed tea time. I was just finishing a dish. Clara was so proud. She gave me a huge hug, but suddenly she gasped in pain. She fell, and I looked up to see my mother holding her heart. I moved to kneel next to Clara, but my mother magically sent me to my room. She created a barrier so I couldn't leave. As for Clara, I never saw her again. I always told myself that she was just banished from our manor, but Daniel's death made me realize that my mother would kill anyone that got in her way."

Emma looked horrified. She debated on asking Regina why on Earth she would ever let a horrible woman like that back into her life, but she figured that Regina desperately wanted her mother's love. It was clear that despite her best intentions, Regina loved her mother. So Emma decided to share her own story. The brunette had been honest with her recently, so she figured she could do the same.

"I had someone like Clara too. She was my foster mom when I was fourteen. I had started getting in a bit of trouble, so I was sent to her. I always forced myself to hate my foster parents. I mean, they didn't last, so why should I care about them? But Sarah was different. Even though she had five other foster kids, she was always patient and caring. She encouraged me to do well in school. She was the only foster parent that ever really cared what happened to me."

"What happened?" Regina asked softly. She finished cooking the last of the pancakes quickly before turning back to Emma.

"She got married. I was so happy for her, but her new husband didn't want kids, especially foster kids. He pressured her into sending us back."

"I'm sorry." She replied honestly. "I could turn him into a toad if you'd like?"

Emma laughed as Regina winked. "Where were you fourteen years ago?"

Regina chuckled. The room became comfortably quiet as she finished cooking. She put everything on plates and set them on the island.

"I'm surprised Henry isn't down here yet. He should have woken up to the smell." Emma commented.

"Thanks to you, he had nightmares last night. Who knows how long he was up before he came into my room last night."

"Wait, how is that my fault?"

"You allowed him to watch a horror movie. He is only eleven."

"I thought he was old enough to handle it. Is he alright now? Should I go check on him?"

"He's fine. But you can wake him up." Regina smiled. She knew he would be tired, therefore difficult to get up.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Alright." She got up and hurried up the stairs.

Regina set the dining room table with plates and silverware as well as the hot food. She made sure to set some aside for her mother as well. She made Henry a cup of hot chocolate, making sure to include the cinnamon. She put that on the table too before sitting down. The lack of sleep was already getting to her and if she was being honest, she was looking forward to being able to nap later.

She picked up her phone to text Killian, although she figured he was still asleep. She told him to text her once he woke up. Hopefully, he would respond soon.

Emma returned and sat next to her. "If it's this difficult to get him up now, can you imagine what it's gonna be like in a few years?"

Regina chuckled. "Let's not worry about that now, alright? He's growing way too fast."

Emma hummed in agreement. Both of them smiled as Henry bounced into the room. He was dressed his uniform, but his hair was a mess. He smoothed it down quickly before sitting down and filling his plate. He paused at the sight of the apple pancakes, but decided to ignore them.

"Good morning, Henry." Regina gave him a smile before putting some of the apple pancakes on her plate. She grabbed some of the bacon and gave some to Henry as well.

"Morning, mom." Henry said before taking a sip of the hot chocolate. He licked his lips before digging into the pancakes. "Where is Cora?"

"She's still sleeping." Regina frowned. She was surprised that her mother wasn't up yet. Usually, Cora was a very early riser.

"She doesn't strike me as the type of person that sleeps in." Emma commented.

"She's not. She will probably be down any moment."

Regina's phone vibrated so she picked it up. There was a new message from Killian.

_'Good morning, love. Do you always get up ridiculously early?'_

**'Of course. Did I wake you?'**

"Can Hook come over after school?" Henry asked.

Regina gave Emma a look that said,_ you told him!?_ but Emma shook her head.

Henry looked between them for an answer. He wasn't sure which one he should ask since they were both his moms, so he decided to ask them both. He had enjoyed spending time with the pirate and he was eager to see him again.

"As long as you don't have a lot of homework. My mother should be gone for a few hours this afternoon, so he can come over then." Regina finally answered.

"Awesome! Can I call him to ask now?" Henry's eyes lit up and he grabbed Emma's phone. He didn't wait for an answer before scrolling through her contacts to find him.

Regina smiled as she continued to eat her pancakes. Henry stood and left the room to have his conversation, although Emma and Regina could clearly his loud voice.

"Are you going to tell him about you two?" Emma asked the brunette.

"I don't know. I'm a little bit nervous about his reaction." Regina answered honestly.

"He seems to really like being around Hook, so who knows."

"Maybe once we've dealt with my mother."

Emma nodded in understanding as Henry walked back in the room. He gave her back the phone and sat in his seat again.

"He said that he will be here after school. Emma, are you gonna be here too?"

"Uh, sure. I can have David cover for me at the station. I'll pick you up from school."

Henry's eagerness to see the pirate won over his desire to be more independent and he nodded. Regina stood and took her plate as well as Emma's and brought them into the kitchen. She placed them in the sink before grabbing Henry's lunchbox and making him a quick lunch. She added a couple of snacks too.

"I should go to the bus stop now. Thanks for breakfast, mom." Henry stood in the doorway.

"You're welcome, Henry. Have fun in school." Regina handed him his lunchbox.

Henry grinned. He missed having his mom pack his lunch for him. Sometimes, she would give him an extra snack or leave a note. He told her to stop doing that when he first got the book though. He thought the sweet notes were a trick from the Evil Queen. Now he felt bad. "You included the special note, right?"

Regina returned his grin as she held out her hand for the lunchbox. Henry returned it to her and she turned to grab a sticky note. She wrote something and stuck it in the box. She handed it back to Henry. "No peeking."

"No peeking." Henry repeated. He gave Regina a quick hug before picking up his backpack. He waved at Emma as he headed off to school. She moved out of the way of his path and smiled.

"Don't forget that I'm picking you up!" She called after him.

His only response was to wave. Regina turned to wash the dishes.

"Do you want help?"

"If you could finish clearing off the table, that would be wonderful."

Emma nodded and did as she asked. She brought everything into the kitchen and put it on the counter next to the sink.

"Why don't you use magic to do that?" Emma asked curiously.

Regina shrugged. "Habit, I guess."

"Okay, well I gotta get to work. I'll text you when I leave to get Henry alright? So you and Hook know that we are coming. If you need to, leave a tie or whatever on the doorknob and I'll take him for an ice cream first or something."

"A tie on the doorknob?" Regina's face scrunched in confusion.

Emma laughed. "Yeah, it means... do I seriously have to explain this to you?" At Regina's blank look she sighed. "Usually people hang clothing on doorknobs to signal to their roommates that they have.. company."

Regina raised her eyebrow. "Classy. But that won't be necessary."

"Are you sure? Cause I seem to remember walking in on you two with your tongues-"

"Aren't you going to be late for work?" Regina interrupted. Her face was turning a slight pink.

Emma held her hands up. "Fine. I'll leave now. See ya."

She waved and left the kitchen. Regina could hear her put on her leather jacket and grab her car keys before leaving. She sighed before remembering her phone in the other room. She picked it up and checked the two new messages from Killian. The first was before Henry called him.

_'Not really. What's up?'_

_'Were you planning on warning me about Henry's invitation or did you want to talk about something else?'_

**'Actually, I was going to say that you should come over because my mother will be gone for a few hours, but Henry beat me to it. I know you plan to see him after school, but you could always come here a little earlier :)'**

_'Sounds like a good plan ;). What time?'_

**'I'll let you know when my mother leaves.'**

Regina put her phone down. It was nearly 8 o'clock and her mother was still not up. She decided to go check on her. She walked to her mother's room and knocked. "Mother?"

"Come in, dear."

Regina opened the door to find her mother standing at the mirror. She straightened her blazer and met Regina's eyes through the glass. "Good morning, dear."

"Morning, Mother. You're up late."

Cora smiled. "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk around town last night. I didn't realize it was this late. Did Henry and Miss Swan already leave?"

"Yes, they did. I made breakfast if you want some." Regina checked the time on her phone. "I have a meeting this morning, so I'm going to get ready and head out."

"Alright, dear. I'll be leaving around one. I should be gone for a few hours. If you aren't back before I leave, we can talk later."

Regina nodded before going into her own room. She showered and got ready to meet with Nova. If the girl was going to be the new head of the fairies, an alliance with her would be very helpful. If she was going to get rid of her mother, she would need to start building allies, starting with the young girl. It was nice outside, so she decided to walk to the convent.


	22. Chapter 22

_here is another long chapter! whooo. regina makes some new friends. or at least allies. maybe not yet friends. :)_

_happy easter!_

* * *

Zane joined her on her walk to the convent. "Good morning Regina."

"Good morning, Zane."

"What are you up to this morning?"

"I'm going to visit Nova."

"Nova?"

"She is replacing the Blue Fairy."

"Ah. You are going to solidify an alliance with the other side to ensure that they are directing their attention to getting rid of your mother." Zane stated.

Regina laughed. "You've always been good about reading my mind. What am I going to do after that?"

"Well, I'm guessing that you have other allies in mind. You are going to visit them once you are done with this Nova girl. Then, you will find your pirate and spend time with him before your son comes home." Zane winked. "You may have changed a bit, but I can still read you like a book."

"I can see that."

"Need a friend to accompany you?"

"If you'd like." Regina said. She missed being around Zane so she was certainly not going to say no.

"I would." Zane smirked. They walked in silence for a few moments. "So, anything new in your life?"

"No. Why do you ask?" Regina answered cautiously.

"You've got this glow around you. More than the typical 'I'm in love' glow."

"I never said I was in love, Zane." She deflected quickly. She loved having a lieutenant that noticed every little detail, but sometimes he knew too much. She and Killian had decided to keep her pregnancy a secret and as much as she trusted Zane, the less people that knew, the better.

"You don't have to. It's pretty obvious, even if you are in denial about it. Why don't you tell him? Forget about your mother, Regina." Zane said with his usual air of confidence. "Wouldn't you want him to know how you feel? To hear him say he feels the same way?"

"You sound pretty sure."

"I am sure. I know you, Regina. And I know he would do anything to protect you because he loves you. So tell him how you feel." Zane leaned towards her.

Regina gave him a big smile. "Always so pushy, Zane."

"I just want to see you happy."

"I- thank you. And I am happy. I don't need to rush anything."

"Love is not weakness, 'Gina."

"That's not what I was thinking." Regina denied. She looked away from him.

"Liar." Zane smirked.

Regina gave him a look. Zane shrugged and continued. "It's not weakness. True Love can break any curse because it-"

"Is magic. The most powerful magic of all." Regina finished. She remembered saying the same thing to a much younger Snow White. Daniel had told her that once, when she was afraid of her mother's magic. She had truly believed that until he died. She nodded to Zane. "I know that. But we are already rushing things. I don't know if I'm ready to tell him how I feel."

Zane stopped walking and regarded her with a quizzical look. "What do you mean you are already rushing things?"

Regina just smiled. "We are here." She pointed at the convent in front of them and continued walking.

Zane shook his head and walked faster to catch up with her. "You got married, didn't you? Should I start calling you Mrs. Jones?"

Regina chuckled. She moved up the stairs. Zane opened the door for her before following her inside. "You aren't going to answer my question, are you?"

"Nope." Regina winked at him. She turned as one of the fairies moved down the hall towards them. "Excuse me, can I talk to Nova?"

"What do you want with her?" The former nun asked gruffly. Her hands started to glow a bright blue and she moved to hold them in front of her slightly.

Zane moved in front of Regina defensively. He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. The woman watched him carefully, but said nothing. She was clearly confident in her ability to protect herself with magic.

Regina forward. "I'm not here to harm anyone. I just want to talk to her. My intentions are peaceful."

The nun studied her. Her disapproving look did not fade, but Regina held her ground.

"Let us talk, Blossom." Nova entered the room and came to stand between Regina and the fairy. Zane bit his lip to keep from laughing at the woman's name. He relaxed his defensive stance as Regina put her hand on his shoulder.

"But Nova-" Blossom protested. She lowered her hands and the blue magic disappeared.

"No. I am in charge now. I make the decisions. Please go help the other fairies."

Blossom threw an irritated look in Regina's direction before leaving the room. Nova watched her leave before turning her attention to the pair in front of her. She smiled and pointed at a room across the hall. Regina and Zane followed her into a small office. She sat behind a desk.

"Please, sit."

Regina and Zane sat in the chairs in front of the desk. Regina waited a moment to speak. "Nova, this is my lieutenant, Zane."

Nova nodded politely at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, but why do you need a bodyguard, Ms. Mills? You are in no danger from me."

Regina was surprised at the girl's frankness. She imagined the young fairy to be timid and nervous, especially in the presence of a powerful and experienced sorceress. Although she supposed that the girl had to step up a lot since the death of the Blue Fairy. "He is not a bodyguard, but a friend. But if you feel more comfortable with him gone..." She didn't need to finish her sentence for Zane to remove himself from the room.

"I don't feel threatened by you."

Regina nodded. "Good. I'm here to form an alliance with you."

Nova raised her eyebrows in surprise. "An alliance? Why?"

"I want my mother gone. I realize that I can't do it on my own and I don't trust that Gold won't double cross me. You are obviously very powerful and I need your help."

"You want your mother gone?"

"Are you going to repeat everything that I say?" Regina smiled as Nova blushed. "Yes. I need to protect my family. She is a danger to everyone I love."

"I'm not sure how I can help. I'm still trying to learn how to control to the magic of the Blue Fairy."

"We already have a plan in place, I just need to know that you will help if something goes wrong."

Nova nodded slowly. "Alright. The fairies are behind you."

"Thank you." Regina stood to shake her hand. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry about Mother Superior."

Nova sighed. "Thank you. Emma told me that you didn't know what your mother was planning."

"That's why you are trusting me right now." Regina guessed. Forming the alliance was easier than she had predicted.

"It's part of the reason. We didn't really cross paths in the Enchanted Forest, but here I've seen how you are with Henry. I don't think you would do anything to hurt him. Turning back into the Evil Queen and taking over with Cora would do that. I hoped that you were trying to stay on your path of redemption. I was right." Nova gave her a happy smile.

Regina returned her smile. "No wonder why Blue chose you to replace her. You may be young, but you are very bright."

Nova nodded to indicate that she appreciated the compliment. She looked at the door, where Zane stood outside.

"I only wish the other fairies would follow my orders that well." Nova admitted. "They think I'm too young. They don't respect me like they did with Mother Superior."

"They will." Regina responded. "Do not try to be Blue. Be your own person. Rule fairly and justly and make sure they do not walk over you. From what I've seen, you are doing a good job."

"But they resent me for everything."

"They are mourning the only leader they've had for years. It's natural. Give them time and eventually they will respect you."

"Thank you."

Regina nodded. She moved to leave, but paused with her hand on the doorknob. She turned to look at her new ally. "You can change things now. Get rid of some of the more ridiculous rules. Study all types of magic so you can be prepared for anything."

"What type of rules?" Nova asked curiously. "You think I should have all fairies learn about dark magic?"

"Rules like the one that forbids fairies from marrying. It's old-fashioned and pointless. And anyone that wants to learn magic should know the basics about all types of magic. You don't have to practice dark magic, just know what it is all about and how to counter it. Educate yourselves further."

Nova looked surprised that Regina knew about her dislike for the rule about marriage. She and Grumpy- Leroy- had been keeping their romance a secret. She was curious to know how Regina found out, but decided to ask her later. She focused on the brunette's second idea. "And that will modernize the fairies. Make them a more powerful force in the magical world."

"Yes. The Blue Fairy's insistence on keeping you in the dark about anything other than the light magic made you irrelevant."

"Because those who studied the dark magic didn't see us as a threat at all."

"Exactly." Regina held her hand up. Purple smoke surrounded it and disappeared seconds later, leaving a book in her hand. She handed it to Nova. "This explains dark magic quite well and shows how to counteract dark spells with light spells. I would be careful about where you leave it though. People might assume you joined the dark side." She rolled her eyes.

Nova laughed. "Thank you so much. We will help whenever you need."

"It goes both ways, dear." She shook the girl's hand again before opening the door. Zane stood tall as she exited the room. He nodded at Nova and followed Regina outside.

"So, how did it go?" He asked.

"She agreed to work with me."

"I figured that your lovely personality would convince her."

Regina chuckled. "She's extremely bright. That will work in our favor because my mother will certainly underestimate her."

"Does this mean we will be working with Blossom?" Zane smirked.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Fairies have different names. Get used to it, dear."

Zane held his hands up. "I'm just saying, it's an odd name. No wonder why she is so grumpy." He watched as Regina laughed. "Where to next, Your Majesty?"

"Granny's diner." Regina answered. She watched as Zane's face lit up. He covered his excitement quickly, but Regina caught it. "Excited to see someone are we?"

"I just really enjoy the coffee, actually."

"Mmhmm." Regina replied. "If that's the story you are sticking to..."

"I am." Zane grinned. He remained silent for the rest of the walk. He held the door open for Regina and she stepped inside, examining the diner. It was brunch time, so there were a few people there. Gold and his son were sitting in the far booth. Regina sighed and turned towards the counter. She had been avoiding the former imp since she found out that he was her father. She had no desire to talk to him now. She had yet to meet his son either.

Ruby and Granny both looked up as they entered. Regina smiled in greeting. Zane trailed behind her as he studied the diner's occupants. His gaze focused on Gold and he glared at him.

"Regina." Ruby looked surprised to see her in the diner. She looked behind her as if she expected Cora to be with her.

"Your army isn't allowed in this establishment, Regina." Granny said gruffly. She eyed Zane warily.

"Zane is a friend." Regina waved her hand and he was instantly changed into regular clothing. "He isn't here on official capacity. I, however, wish to speak to you. To the both of you, actually."

Granny raised her eyebrows. She glanced around the diner to make sure everyone was all set before nodding. "Follow me to the office."

The four of them moved into the small office. Granny didn't bother to sit, so they all remained standing. She studied Regina. "What do you want?"

"I'm sure you're aware the threat my mother poses to this town. I want her gone. The Charmings have a plan, but in the event that it backfires, I would like the assurance that you will help me get rid of her."

Ruby's eyes widened in surprise. "You want our help? Why?"

"Because I have learned that werewolves are extremely helpful and loyal. My mother cannot fight two werewolves if it comes to that."

"Two werewolves?" Ruby shook her head. "Granny doesn't change anymore. She hasn't in a long time."

Regina grinned. "I'm aware of that. However, Zane does."

This time, Granny and Ruby wore matching shocked expressions.

Zane smiled. His eyes flashed amber briefly. "I learned to control and hide my werewolf side when I was young, even from other wolves."

"I didn't know that was possible. But aren't you a shapeshifter? Why do you need me to change into a wolf when you can do it?" Ruby asked Regina.

"I am a shapeshifter, but I'm afraid that I cannot change right now."

"Why not?" Ruby demanded.

Regina flicked her hair out of her face. She wasn't sure how to answer the question without explaining that shapeshifting would be dangerous for her child. "I promised Henry I would use as little magic as possible." She finally settled on a half-truth.

Granny gave her a knowing look. "I don't want Ruby to be in danger."

"Granny-" Ruby started to protest.

Regina shook her head. "She already is in danger. Everyone in this town is with Cora here. She has Rumple's dagger and I can only stop her from using it for so long. She believes that I am working with her and hopefully I can keep it that way for a few more months. I am hopeful that the Charming's plan will work so I may not even need Ruby's help. But in case it does not, I need to know that I have allies. The fairies already agreed to assist me in any way possible."

Granny nodded slowly. "It is your decision, Ruby."

"Alright. I'll help. I want Cora gone too so life can go back to normal. At least, as normal as this town knows."

Regina grinned. "Thank you." She nodded to Granny before shaking Ruby's hand. "Zane can answer any of your questions."

Ruby smiled at her fellow werewolf. He returned her smile as Regina smirked. He may be the best at picking up little details, but she guessed that he had a bit of a crush on Ruby.

"So you can disguise yourself from anyone?" Ruby asked.

Zane nodded. "Yes. My mother showed me how to. She taught me to make sure that not many people know about me. It gives me the element of surprise. I can teach you, if you'd like."

Granny moved to leave the office so Regina followed her. Granny went behind the counter.

"Regina." Gold stood as she passed him.

Regina stopped and slowly turned to face him. "I have somewhere I have to be, so can I take a rain check on this conversation?"

"I want to talk to you. I know you've been avoiding me, dearie."

"Your point being?" She said coldly.

Gold took a deep breath and stepped closer to her. "I want to make amends for what I did to you."

"Oh, you mean turning me into a monster? Tricking me into casting this curse so you could come here to find him?" She pointed to the man that was still sitting in the booth. He looked shocked. Clearly, he didn't know his father's role in her changing into the Evil Queen. She looked back at Gold, who had the decency to look ashamed. "I wanted to learn magic to bring Daniel back. But you took every ounce of hope from me and corrupted me with dark magic. You played me every step of the way so you could get here. Well I hope you're happy with your son, Gold. But I don't want to join your little family."

Regina turned on her heel and left the diner. She didn't bother to look back as Gold called her name. She heard someone else call her, but she ignored them too. She felt a hand around her wrist a moment later. Someone tugged and she stopped walking. She turned to see Gold's son looking at her.

"What?" She asked sharply.

"I'm sorry. For my dad being an asshole." He gave her a smile smile.

Regina relaxed slightly. "You have nothing to apologize for."

He shrugged and held out his hand. "Neal Cassidy."

She grasped his hand. "Regina Mills."

Neal nodded. "Right. You adopted my son?"

Regina shifted uncomfortably. She raised Henry for 10 years and this man did nothing, yet he calls him his son already. Henry was and always will be her son. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and answered simply instead. "Yes."

"He's a good kid."

"Yes, he is." Regina gave him a tired smile. "I'm sorry, but I'm not really in the mood to have a brother-sister bonding moment right now."

"That's fine. I just wanted to see if we could talk at some point. I mean, I know you don't want anything to do with my father and I don't blame you for that, but I'd like to get to know you. You can find me at Granny's."

"Alright. It was nice to meet you, Mr. Cassidy."

"You too. I'll see you around." Neal waved before disappearing back into the diner. Regina watched him for a moment before heading back home.

She unlocked her door quietly and headed to her room. She couldn't wait to nap before she called Killian to come over.


	23. Chapter 23

_i like this chapter! :) sorry for the long wait, but hopefully this will make up for it _

* * *

Regina woke up a couple of hours later to her mother poking her head in her room. Cora assured her that she would be gone for a few hours. She left the house so Regina called Killian to come over. She fixed her hair as she waited for him to walk from the marina. He didn't bother to knock, instead he just walked through the front door and called her name. She rolled her eyes with a smile as she walked down the stairs. She was just a few steps from the bottom when he picked her up with the waist and twirled her. She laughed and kissed him before he put her down.

"Hello to you too, Killian."

He smirked. "I missed you."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I missed you too." She gave him a sweet kiss.

"How long do we have?"

Regina glanced at the clock. "About an hour."

"Perfect. First I'm going to show you just how much I missed you and then, we are going to talk about our child." Killian grinned and picked her up bridal-style before carrying her to her bedroom and kicking the door shut.

* * *

"What about Beatrice?" Killian suggested as he ran his fingers up and down Regina's arm. He held her tightly in his arms.

"Now you are just being difficult on purpose." Regina rolled her eyes.

"What's wrong with that name?"

Regina sat up to look at his face. He met her questioning gaze with a serious face, but he cracked a smile a moment later. She smacked his chest. "Killian!"

He laughed and grabbed her wrist so she couldn't hit him again. "It means 'blessed' or 'she who brings happiness'." He read from Regina's phone as he pulled her to lay down again. She relaxed and laid her head on his bare chest.

"That's cute, but Beatrice is a horrible name for a baby." She replied.

Killian chuckled. "I agree. There are some ridiculous names here. I don't even know how to pronounce most of them."

"Unusual names are growing more popular. An actress named her daughter Apple a few years ago."

"Apple? I'm surprised that you didn't think of that one first."

Regina laughed. "As much as I love apples, I wouldn't name my child after a fruit. However, a vegetable is different. Henry's middle name is Pea, afterall. I thought it sounded nice." She teased as she stood and pulled her bathrobe on.

Killian smirked. "Yes, it's very cute. What about Beatrice Apple?"

"Sounds perfect." She responded dryly. She paused near the bathroom door. "Are you going to join me in the shower or are you going to stay there and think about crazy names?"

His only answer was to grin and hop out of the bed.

* * *

Killian rummaged through the cabinets in the kitchen. His eyes settled upon a box and he picked it up. He shrugged before copying the pictures on the front. He grabbed a bowl and dumped the contents of the box to it and added milk. He grabbed a spoon too and cautiously tested it. It was delicious.

"Fruit Loops?" Regina joined him in the kitchen. Her hair was dried and she had reapplied some of her makeup.

"What is this?" Killian said as he took another bite.

"It's cereal." She raised her eyebrows and tried not to laugh.

"Well it's fantastic. What's so funny?" He put the bowl on the counter and pulled her closer.

"You're adorable." She kissed him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

He looked thoughtful. "As a pirate, I would usually find that quite insulting. But I suppose I can take it from you, love."

Regina laughed. "Good. Get used to it, babe." She pressed a kiss to his lips as they heard the front door open. She brushed his damp hair out of his face and stepped back. She crossed her arms and put a mask of indifference on. He grinned and picked up his bowl again.

Henry joined them in the kitchen a minute later. He hugged his mother and his gaze lit up when he saw the pirate standing in his kitchen. He smiled when he realized that he was eating fruit loops. "Hey Captain!"

"Hello, lad. How are you?"

"Good. Did you just get here?" He asked curiously. Regina gave him a look from behind Henry and Killian resisted the urge to laugh.

"Yeah, a few minutes ago."

"How was school?" Regina spoke up.

Henry shrugged. "It was fine. I got an A on the essay you corrected!"

Regina gave him a hug. "That's wonderful Henry! I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, mom."

"Where is Emma?"

"She's still outside. I think Gramps called her so she's still talking to him." Henry looked at Killian again. "We should watch Peter Pan!"

Killian looked between Regina and Henry. "What do you mean 'watch Peter Pan?'"

Regina smirked. "That's a wonderful idea, Henry. Why don't you set it up for us?"

"Okay!" Henry left them to go into the tv room.

Killian shook his head. "Regina?"

"Just wait till you see what this world thinks you look like." Regina winked as she walked past him to leave. He shook his head and followed her. He sat on the couch next to her, but kept a bit of distance.

Henry played with the tv and put Peter Pan in the DVD player. They heard the front door slam and the click of Emma's boots on the floor. She seemed to be pacing before she calmed down. She joined them a minute later. "Hey. What are we...Peter Pan?" She chuckled and sat on the other side of the couch.

Henry grabbed the remote and sat between her and Regina. "Yup!"

She raised her eyebrows. "This is weird. So have you seen this land's Snow White movie?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "I was not jealous that she was the fairest of all. That is ridiculous. Why would I go through all that trouble to poison her just because the mirror told me she was pretty?"

Emma and Henry laughed. Regina sighed. "Can we start the movie, please?"

Henry grinned and pressed play. Regina quietly slipped her hand into Killian's and smiled. He was quiet during the first few minutes of the movie, but he squeezed her hand when Captain Hook first appeared.

"That's how they choose to portray me?! I do not look anything like that!" He stood up and moved in front of the tv.

The three of them laughed. Regina shook her head. "I don't know, Killian. I think we should get you an outfit like that and you can grow out the mustache. It would be a good look for you." She raised her hands.

Killian realized that she was going to give him that outfit. He grabbed her hands. "Don't even think about it, love."

Henry's eyes lit up. "Do it mom!"

Regina laughed. She wiggled her hands and smiled. She opened her mouth to respond when there was a knock on the door. Killian let go of her and she paused before moving to answer it. Killian looked at Henry and faked relief. "I believe the phrase here is 'saved by the bell'."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"Did you know my grandfather?" Henry asked Killian curiously. "You worked with Cora before the curse, right? Did you ever meet my mom's dad?"

"No, I'm afraid that I didn't have the privilege to meet him."

"Oh. My mom was supposed to tell me about him, but I think she forgot."

"Why don't you remind her?" Emma suggested. After seeing how Cora was, she was curious about Regina's father. "Now would be a good time to ask her. Something tells me that she won't be able to talk about him around Cora."

Henry nodded. "Okay."

Regina returned a moment later and sat back on the couch. Killian and Emma both gave her curious looks. She sighed. "That was Zane. There was a bit of a disturbance. It's been settled, but I told him to tell me when something happened."

"What was the disturbance?" Emma asked. She checked her phone to make sure she didn't miss a call from David.

"Apparently Dr. Whale had a bit too much to drink. He tried to start a fight with some of my soldiers."

Emma didn't look all that surprised. Regina raised her eyebrows. Henry coughed. "Could you tell me about your dad now?"

Regina nodded slowly. "Of course sweetheart. What do you want to know?"

Henry looked pensive. He thought about his fairytale book. Most of the stories started with the meeting of True Loves. "How did he meet Cora?"

"Well, his father was King Xavier. Their kingdom was in desperate need of gold, so he hosted a ball to find a wealthy person to marry my father. My mother snuck into the ball and convinced him to dance with her." Regina smiled. It was the story that her father told her when she was young. She doubted that their meeting was as happy as her father led her to believe, but it was all she knew.

"That's awesome!"

"Yes, it is. He was a wonderful dancer, too." She thought about all the times that he twirled her around the room. "He taught me how to waltz."

Killian stood suddenly and held out his hand. "Care to demonstrate?"

Regina smiled shyly. Henry bounced off the couch. "Pleaseeeeee? You have to teach us how to waltz!"

Regina opened her mouth to protest, but Killian interrupted. "Come on, Your Majesty. Show him how royals dance."

She grinned and took his hand. He pulled her to her feet and stood back for a moment. He started to hum a tune and she laughed. He held his hands up and she mimicked his stance. They started to dance, forgetting about everything but each other. Regina smiled. "For a pirate, you are a very good dancer. Where did you learn to waltz so well?"

Killian smirked. He leaned closer to her ear. "I wasn't always a pirate, love."

Regina raised her eyebrows. "But-"

"Can you teach us a dance from the Enchanted Forest? Please?" Henry interrupted excitedly.

Emma shook her head. "Uh, no thanks. I'm not a big fan of dancing."

Henry gave her a look. "Well you are a princess. You should know how to dance!"

Regina chuckled. "He's right, Miss Swan. Just follow our lead, alright?"

She groaned, but allowed Henry to pull her off the couch. They clumsily followed Regina and Killian's lead. After a few times, the former queen and pirate stepped back to watch them. They laughed as the mother-son duo tripped over each other.

"It's right, left, right, left. Don't forget to straighten your posture, dear." Regina pointed out with a teasing smile.

Emma glared at her as she twirled around. "Do people actually do this?"

Killian chuckled and Regina leaned into him slightly. She grabbed his hand and held it behind her back. Henry was too distracted with trying to dance like a prince so he didn't notice them.

"Mom, is this good?" Henry asked.

"You are doing wonderful, dear. My little prince."

Henry smile grew bigger.

The front door slammed and the four of them froze. Regina stepped away from Killian and looked terrified. Henry's eyes widened. Emma thought quickly. She pulled a stunned Regina over to the couch and pushed her to sit. She did the same with Henry. The blonde grabbed Killian and pulled him to the center of the room. "You were just teaching me to dance, alright?"

"Regina?" Cora's voice echoed in the hallways.

Regina paled. She took a deep breath and tried to seem relaxed. "In the tv room, mother." She pulled Henry closer. Killian gave her a tight smile, which she returned briefly.

Cora entered the room and paused when she realized Killian was present. She glared at the pirate. "What are you doing here?"

"I invited him." Emma let go of Killian and turned to face Cora.

"Regina? You allowed him in your house?" She turned to face her daughter.

"I just returned from picking Henry up from school." She responded calmly.

"This is my home now too. I'm allowed to have guests." Emma cut in.

Cora turned to face her again. "Not this pirate. Get out and don't return, Hook. You two can meet somewhere else from now on."

Killian paused. Cora looked at her daughter again. "Regina, your study, now." She glared at the pirate as she passed him on her way to the study.

Regina exhaled as soon as she was gone. She stood up. "Henry, go upstairs and start your homework."

"But-" Henry started to protest.

"Go." She said sternly.

"I'll help you." Emma said. She gave Regina and Killian a look before going upstairs with Henry.

"Killian-" Regina started.

He shook his head. "I'm not leaving." He crossed the room to pull her into his arms.

She kissed him, but pulled away. "Yes, you are. I'll find you later, alright?" She pushed him to the door. "Don't worry about me. I've dealt with her before. She won't dare hurt me because I'm pregnant. We will be fine."

Killian didn't look convinced, but he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Be careful, love."

Regina gave him a small smile. She watched him leave and went into her study. She shut the door and turned. She gasped as her mother's hand met her cheek. Hard.

"I'm disappointed in you, dear. You aren't maintaining control over your home, your town. You are the Queen. Don't let that isolate brat walk all over you. I taught you better than that."

"I'm sorry, Mother." Regina tasted the blood in her mouth. She held her hand to her cheek.

Cora pressed her lips together in disapproval. "You will do well to remember your time as Queen." She sighed and walked to the door. "I'll be retiring to bed for the night."

Regina didn't bother to respond as her mother went upstairs. She went to the bathroom and studied her face in the mirror. Her cheek was bright red and she could see the bruise forming. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to hold back the tears. So many years without her mother made her forget how quickly her anger rose. She had only been back for a few months and already she was punishing her. Regina knew that she shouldn't be surprised, but she was hoping that maybe this time would be different. Maybe her mother wouldn't care so much about power. It was a childish hope and she was angry at herself for believing in it. She wiped the tears from her face and headed to the kitchen.

Hopefully preparing dinner would allow her to forget how cruel Cora could be, at least for awhile. She made one of Henry's favorites: homemade pizza. Emma came downstairs just as she was sprinkling the cheese on it. The blonde gasped as she saw Regina's face.

"Oh god, did she-"

"It's nothing, Miss Swan." She responded quickly.

"That doesn't look like nothing. She hit you because Hook was over? That seems a little extreme."

"It's not him, specifically. She thinks I'm weak. This has always been her way of reminding me that power is more important than anything." Regina realized who she was talking to and shook her head. "It doesn't matter. Dinner will be ready in a bit. I'll set the timer so all you have to do is take it out of the oven. My mother already retired to bed, so I'm going out alright? I can't have Henry see this." She pointed to her face before putting the tray in the oven.

"I- okay. Are you sure you are alright?"

"I'm fine." She avoided looking at her as she moved to the front hall. She put her coat on and gave Emma a small smile. "Goodnight, Miss Swan."

Emma nodded and closed the door behind her. Regina knew Zane would ask questions as soon as he saw her, so she transported herself straight to the Jolly Roger. She crossed the deck to the stairs and walked to Killian's room. She knocked on the door frame and gave him a smile as he turned around.

Killian's smile disappeared when his eyes landed in her cheek. He moved to stand in front of her and held her face in his hands. She closed her eyes as he rubbed his thumb over the bruise. "I'm going to kill her."

She opened her eyes as he let her go. He grabbed his sword and hurried up the stairs. Regina shook her head and followed him to the deck. "Killian, no. She'll kill you before you even get close." She grabbed his arm to stop him before he stepped off the ship. He spun around to face her.

"I'm not letting her get away with hurting you. Again."

"I appreciate that, but I can't watch you walk to your death."

He frowned. He reached up to touch her cheek again. "This is my fault."

"No, it isn't. She's angry with whoever she has been meeting. She just took it out on me. It has nothing to do with your visit." Regina intertwined their fingers together. She brought his hand up and held it over her heart. "I'm okay, Killian."

He dropped the sword and pulled her into his arms. "I hate this." He whispered. "I hate leaving you with her. I can't stand seeing you hurt."

"I know. But it will be over soon. Once the potion is ready, we can get rid of her. Then, we can be together. You, me, baby Apple, Henry."

Killian chuckled. "That sounds perfect. But I'm afraid that I'm not a patient man. We can be together now, if I get rid of Cora tonight." He kissed her temple and moved off the ship.

"Killiannn." She whined. "Come back here." She crossed her arms to pout. "Baby please." She sighed before transporting herself in front of him. He stopped and she wrapped her arms around him. "Forget about my mother."

"Babe-"

"No." She said forcefully. "No. I don't want to talk about her. I want to spend the night.. staring at the stars and talking about our baby. Okay? Cora doesn't matter right now. What's important is that we are together."

"You're right." Killian pushed her hair behind her ear. "I love you, Regina."

Regina felt her breath catch in her throat. She kissed him fiercely and wrapped her fingers in his hair. When she pulled away, she smiled. "I love you too, Killian."

He grinned and twirled her. "Well, let's go watch the stars from on board, my love. So about Apple's nursery..."


	24. Chapter 24

_once again, i'm sorry for the long wait! there is a lot that goes on in this chapter, so i hope you enjoy it :)_

* * *

**-12 Weeks-**

"Are you ready?" Killian leaned against the doorframe of his bathroom. Regina was fixing her hair in the mirror. She turned and gave him a smile before pressing her lips to his.

"Absolutely. I'm so excited." She responded.

He grinned. "Me too. We get to see our baby today."

Regina glanced at the time on her phone. "Let's go."

She grabbed his hand and transported them inside the hospital. It was important that people didn't see them together. Once the news of her pregnancy got out, people would question who the father was. She wanted to keep Killian safe from her mother for as long as she could. They were careful not to be seen together so Cora could not put the pieces together. Luckily, doctor-patient confidentiality prevented Regina's doctor from telling anyone that Killian was the father of her child.

The nurse brought them into a small room and introduced them to the technician, Nancy. She was a kind woman, and both of them instantly felt at ease with her. She helped Regina sit on the chair and pull her shirt up to expose her belly. Killian grinned as he saw the slight bump. He couldn't help but get excited every time he saw the visual proof that he was going to be a father. Regina caught his eye and smiled. He reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"This gel is going to be a bit cold, alright?" Nancy said before she smoothed the gel over her stomach. Regina shuddered and Killian tightened his grip on her hand. Nancy grabbed the probe and moved it over the gel.

Regina gasped as the image of their baby appeared on the screen. Killian was speechless. They stared at the screen in wonder.

Nancy smiled at them. "Are you first time parents?"

Killian nodded, his eyes never leaving the screen. Regina glanced at Nancy. "I have an 11-year-old son. I adopted him when he was three weeks old. But this is our first time going through all of this."

"Ah. That's wonderful. Pregnancy is a very beautiful thing. At 12 weeks, your baby is working on relaxes. They open and close their fingers and make sucking movements with their mouth. If you gently prod your stomach, you can see your baby react." Nancy said.

Regina did as she said and they watched the baby shift. At this point, both Killian and Regina were tearing up.

"Killian." Regina started.

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "That's our baby."

"And your baby looks quite healthy." Nancy gave them a knowing smile as they both sighed in relief. "Would you like to know the sex of your child?"

They exchanged a look. They had discussed whether they wanted to know or not earlier. Regina shook her head. "No. We want it to be a surprise."

"Wonderful." Nancy pointed out the size and weight of their baby before smiling and standing up. "I'm going to put this on a disk for you, alright?"

She wiped the gel off of Regina's stomach and pulled her shirt back down. As soon as she left the room, Regina burst into happy tears. Killian pulled her off the bed and into his arms as he laughed. "That's our baby. Our healthy little baby."

"I know. Wow. We are going to be parents in just a few months!" Regina kissed him.

Killian looked elated. "Are you going to tell Henry now? The doctor said the risk of miscarriage goes down significantly around 12 weeks. And you are already showing a bit. It will be easy enough to hide your pregnancy around other people for awhile longer, but now is probably a good time to tell him."

Regina bit her lip. "You're right. We can show him the video of his little brother or sister tonight!"

They had yet to tell Henry about their relationship, but they both knew it would have to happen soon. Killian had been gently prodding her to tell him for the past few weeks, but she was nervous about his reaction. It was clear that Henry liked Killian and his relationship with Regina was improving, but she had been reluctant to tell him.

"And you're sure that Cora won't be around?"

"Yes. I asked Rumple to get her out of the house." Regina gave him a small smile. She knew how he felt about the man. She couldn't blame him, but he was the only one her mother wasn't overly suspicious of. She was still avoiding talking to her father, but she didn't mind making him deal with her mother sometimes. Luckily, he was so eager to repair their relationship, he did whatever she asked.

Killian raised his eyebrows. "You can't keep putting him off forever. As much as I hate him, I think you should at least allow him to explain."

"There's nothing to explain, Killian. He knowingly led me down a dark path for his own gain. I did a lot of things that I regret because of the dark magic that consumed me. I don't want to listen to his pathetic excuses."

Killian nodded in understanding. He couldn't blame her for that. "And what of Neal?"

Regina sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. "I don't know. He is good with Henry and he seems to genuinely want to get to know me, but I just..."

"Can't get past the fact that his father is a crocodile?" Killian finished with a teasing grin.

She chuckled. "Exactly. I know it isn't his fault that his father used me, but I'm just not ready to have a relationship with him. I grew up as an only child. My father was Henry. It's just difficult to think that all of that is a lie. So yeah, avoiding him and Gold helps me avoid dealing with the fact that I was lied to half my life."

Killian kissed her shoulder. Any further conversation was prevented by the return of Nancy. She gave them a happy smile as she handed them the sonogram picture and disk. She set up their next appointment and bid them a good day as she left. Killian stood with Regina still in his arms as she laughed. She waved her hand and transported them to her living room.

"Emma will be bringing Henry home any minute now." Regina said as Killian gently placed her on the couch. She moved over so he could sit against the couch and she could rest her back on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands on her stomach.

"Should we tell Swan too? She already knows about us and she's done a good job of keeping her mouth shut."

Regina sighed. "I suppose she will find out soon enough. It would be less exhausting if I don't have to hide anything from her and Henry anymore."

She felt rather than saw Killian nod his head behind her. The door opened a moment later and she pulled away so they were still sitting next to each other. He squeezed her hand as they heard Henry drop his things near the staircase. He came in the room a moment later. Emma followed him, her eyes dropping to their linked hands before giving them a quizzical look. Regina just smiled in response. Henry gave her a hug and fistbumped Killian in greeting.

"Hey mom, what's for lunch? I'm starving." Henry said as he dramatically collapsed on the couch.

Emma rolled her eyes. "I told you to eat breakfast before we left, kid."

Regina laughed. "I thought that we could go to Granny's for lunch."

"Awesome!" Henry exclaimed. He got up to grab his jacket, but Regina shook her head.

"Henry, there's something I want to tell you first." She began. A look of realization crossed Emma's face and she slowly moved towards the door. "Miss Swan, I'd like you to stay as well."

Henry gave her a quizzical look that matched Emma's perfectly. "Is this about Captain Jones?" He glanced between them. He hadn't invited the pirate over, so he assumed his mother wanted to talk about him. Although he thought back to the past few weeks when he had come home and the Captain was talking to his mom. He always said that he was there to surprise Henry, but... "Are you guys dating?"

Regina bit her lip to keep from laughing. Once again, Henry's observational skills surprised her. She nodded and Killian put his arm around her shoulders.

"I told you he was too smart to fool." He stage whispered and winked at Henry.

The eleven-year-old looked delighted at the compliment.

"Henry, we didn't want anyone to know because of Cora. She cannot know about Killian, alright?"

"Because of what she did when she found out about you and Daniel?" Henry asked curiously.

Regina blinked in surprise. Killian squeezed her hand in support. She gave him a thankful smile before nodding in response to Henry's question. "Yes, dear. But the reason we chose to tell you now is because I'm pregnant."

Emma, having been quiet for the past few minutes, gasped. Henry's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Really. You are going to be a big brother!" Regina said happily. Killian's smile was just as big. He handed Henry the sonogram picture. The boy stared at the picture in wonder. Emma moved to stand over him so she could see the picture too.

"But... how?" Emma stuttered.

Regina grinned. "Do you actually need us to explain?"

Killian laughed and Emma gave Regina a dirty look. "No. This is quite a...surprise. Is it a boy or a girl?"

Henry looked up for the answer. Killian gave him a smile. "We will know in a few months."

"How far along are you?" Emma asked.

"3 months." Regina answered.

"Does your mother know?"

She nodded. "I told her as soon as I found out. She would have sensed it soon enough. Rumple did notice, but he hasn't put two and two together just yet."

"What do you mean?"

"Pregnancy increases a sorceress' powers."

Emma nodded as she remembered Rumple questioning Regina about how she managed to gain more magic. "But your mother doesn't know that Killian is the father."

"No. And we would like to keep it that way." Regina leaned into him.

"As I'm sure you've already realized, she isn't exactly my biggest fan. We are afraid that she will be angry if she finds out that I am the father of her...grandchild." Killian made a face, as if the thought was painful. "That's why we are hoping the potion will take care of her.. and soon. The longer that we have to hide this, the more difficult it will be, especially when people start realizing that Regina is pregnant."

Emma nodded. "Right. Well the fairy dust helped the ingredients hurry along, so we are hopeful that we will be able to make the potion soon."

"Good." Regina turned her attention to Henry, who wasn't listening to them. "Henry, sweetheart, are you alright?"

He looked up from the sonogram and looked between Regina and Killian. "No, no I'm not. I told you that I wasn't going to leave you, but you are the one that is leaving me! I found my real mom, so now you are just going to start a new family? How could you do that?"

Henry stood up and threw the paper at her. He stomped out of the room, grabbing his backpack and jacket as he slammed the front door behind him. Regina stood and followed him. Killian and Emma weren't far behind her.

"Henry! Henry come back here!" Regina said as she hurried after him.

Killian caught up to her and grabbed her. "Let him go, Regina. He just needs time to process. He will come back to you, alright?"

"I'll go talk to him." Emma started to chase after him before pausing and turning around. "Congrats, by the way." She gave them a small smile before continuing to follow Henry.

Regina let Killian pull her back into the house. He brought her into the kitchen, where he picked her up and put her on the counter. She smiled as he grabbed an apple and started cutting it up.

"That was not how I imagined that conversation going." Regina sighed as she leaned against the cabinets.

"He's just surprised. He's been an only child for 11 years, it's going to take him some time to adjust." Killian said reassuringly. He held up an apple slice but she shook her head.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I was 10 when my little brother was born. I was so angry at my parents. I had gotten into a bit of trouble and I thought they were replacing me." He chuckled. "I tried my best to run away, but my uncle stopped me. He told me to grow up and realize that my parents didn't plan on having another kid. I didn't really understand that at the time, but eventually I realized that they still loved me, despite having another kid."

Regina smiled as she listened to him. "I didn't know that you had a brother."

"Yeah. I haven't seen him since I was 15." He said thoughtfully.

"You said that you weren't always a pirate. I'm guessing that your brother didn't follow in your footsteps."

Killian shook his head. "Did you ever hear of King Finn and Queen Rose of the Mumhan kingdom?"

Regina gave him a puzzled look. "Of course. They were extremely powerful monarchs. They had quite the reputation for being wonderful, caring rulers until they were overthrown by Finn's brother. He ruled with an iron fist and was well known for the torture techniques he developed."

"Do you remember what happened to their kids after their uncle took the throne?"

"Well it was a few hundred years before I was even born, so no. What does that have to do with you and your brother?"

"My brother's name was Seamus."

Regina looked thoughtful as she tried to recall her past history lessons. Realization crossed her face a moment later. "King Seamus. He succeeded the throne after his uncle."

"I abandoned my brother when my uncle took the throne. He killed both of my parents. My brother refused to come with me, so I panicked and left the palace. I joined a pirate crew shortly thereafter and worked my way up to Captain."

Regina stared at him in shock. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I don't really remember my parents all that well. As you reminded me, it has been a couple hundred years." Killian gave her a teasing smile.

"So you were a prince. I suppose that explains your ability to dance so well." She returned his smile. "What happened to your brother?"

"He was young enough that my uncle was able to corrupt him. He was a horrible ruler. So many people in the Kingdom died because of him. So many of the people that I abandoned."

Regina shook her head and pulled his face up so he was forced to look at her. "It wasn't your fault. You were afraid and you reacted. If you had gone back, he probably would have killed you. Your brother made his own decisions, and you cannot blame yourself for that."

"I know. But we had a good relationship, once I got past the fact he was not replacing me. Henry and Apple will too." Killian smiled.

Regina laughed. "Thank you. For making me feel better."

"I love you." Killian said as he pushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I love you too." Regina kissed him. "Maybe I should spend the day with Henry tomorrow. Just the two of us. We haven't done that in a long time."

"Sounds like a good idea, love."

Regina sighed. "I doubt Henry is not going to want to go to Granny's now, so I should start dinner." She moved to get off the counter but Killian stopped her.

"I don't think so. You are going to stay there and tell me how to make dinner."

Regina chuckled. "Alright. You can make spaghetti."

She pointed to where everything was and he followed her directions as he had done while they were making brownies.

Emma returned a half an hour after she left. Killian was just finishing dinner and she followed the smell to the kitchen. Regina turned as she entered the room. She sighed as she realized Henry was not with her.

"He went to his castle. We talked for awhile and I think he understands that you aren't replacing him, but he needed some time to himself so I dropped him off at his dad's for the night. He promised not to say anything to Neal for the time being." Emma explained.

"Is he mad at me?"

"No. He's mad at himself. He thinks that he pushed you away and because of that, you are starting a new family with someone who loves you like he hasn't."

"Oh Henry." Regina covered her mouth. She took a deep breath and put her hands on her stomach. "I didn't mean... I still love him, even if he ran away to find you. He will always be my son. My pregnancy doesn't change that."

"I get that. You can pick him up and tell him that tomorrow morning. But for now, there is no reason to worry."

"She's right, love. Henry will be fine with his father for the night. You can see him in the morning. Tonight, we are going to have... spaghetti and you are going to try to relax, alright?" Killian grinned. She gave him a smile as she rolled her eyes.

Emma moved to grab a few dishes and set the dining room table. Killian gave Regina a look that said_ stay there_ as he brought the salad, spaghetti, and sauce into the dining room. Once the table was set, he helped her off the counter and pulled her into the other room. Emma shifted uncomfortably as Regina kissed him on the cheek. Regina smirked as she noticed the blonde staring at her plate.

"I'm surprised that you feel uncomfortable with seeing affection, Miss Swan. I figured that you were used to it considering how disgustingly infatuated your parents are with each other."

"Ugh. Don't remind me. It's just weird. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that my parents are Snow White and Prince Charming. I mean every little girl in the world dreams about having a guy like my dad. As if that isn't weird enough, the two of you are all smitten." Emma took a deep breath as Killian and Regina laughed. "I can't believe you two are going to have a kid together."

They grinned at each other and Killian reached for Regina's hand. "I still can't believe it either."

"I would say the same, but after all that morning sickness, I am quite sure." Regina quipped.

Emma laughed. "Been there, done that. So what did you tell your mother?"

"Nothing much. She has been trying to trick me into telling her who the father is. And she has some really horrible name ideas." Regina made a face.

Killian raised his eyebrows. "Like what?"

"Her top choice seems to be Leopold. She wants me to call him Leo for short." She rolled her eyes. "There is no way I am naming my child after that-" She paused when she looked at Emma. "After my late husband."

"Absolutely not." Killian said.

Regina gave him a small smile. Emma eyed Regina over her glass. "So why do you hate my grandfather so much?"

"Do you honestly want to know?"

The blonde studied her face before nodding.

Regina took a deep breath before leaning back in her chair. "Leopold never cared for me. He married me so Snow would have a mother, but he was still in love with his late wife, Eva. I didn't mind, though because I didn't love him either. But he always compared me to Eva. No matter what I did, it was never good enough. And then he started drinking, though he hid it well from his daughter. I became nothing more than a target for his anger or a bed warmer when he was lonely. I was a trophy, and he didn't allow me to have much freedom. I spent twelve years in the prison of my marriage, before the genie killed Leopold. I hated him because he ruined what was left of my youth. Every second that I was trapped in that castle, my anger grew and grew until I blamed Snow for everything that went wrong."

It was silent as Emma processed Regina's matter-of-fact words. She had explained without emotion. Killian's knuckles were white as he gripped his silverware. Regina studied his tense face and reached to give his hand a reassuring squeeze. He didn't acknowledge her touch and she gave him a worried look.

"How old were you?" He finally asked. Emma looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"How old were you when you were forced to marry him?"

"It was just after my eighteenth birthday." She answered quietly.

Killian ran his fingers through his hair before standing up and bringing his empty plate to the kitchen.

"Killian..." She called after him. He didn't respond and she sighed.

"Why didn't you just leave him?"

Regina gave her an incredulous look. "Leave the King? I would have been executed if I tried. Disobeying your king was unheard of in the Enchanted Forest."

"So you did... whatever he wanted?" Emma fought to keep her face neutral.

"Yes. I raised his daughter for him and freed myself as soon as I could. I know he was your grandfather, but for that I am not sorry."

Emma shook her head. "I didn't know him. I know that he was Snow's father, but he just kind of seems like a distant character to me, you know?"

Regina nodded.

"When we first met, I asked you what the hell made you like this. I think that I'm beginning to understand."

"Evil is not born, but made." Regina said quietly. She glanced at the doorway to the kitchen. "Excuse me, for a moment."

Emma nodded as Regina stood up and went into the other room. Killian had his back facing her and he was standing over the kitchen sink. His back was tense as he looked out the small window. Regina leaned against the counter next to him as she waited for him to talk. It took him a minute before he sighed.

"That bastard abused you and no one stopped him? Of all of the people that work in the castle, not one of them said something?" He clenched his fist before letting go and repeating the action.

"Well, to be fair, I managed to hide my bruises from most of them." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

He ignored her comment. "You were just a kid. What kind of old man marries a girl young enough to be his daughter? What kind of sick bastard forces that girl to-"

"Killian." Regina held out her hand. "Stop. You can't think like that. Its in the past; there is nothing to we can do about it."

"But-"

"But nothing, Killian. He is dead. He can't hurt me anymore."

"I know, I just... You've been through so much. I wish there was some way I could stop you from getting hurt. I wish I could protect you from Cora."

"You are protecting me. If it wasn't for you, I would have allowed her to turn me back into the Evil Queen. I would have done as she wanted and regretted it later. Killian, every second that you are here is protecting me from her. I love you." Regina kissed him. "Now can we please forget about this?"

Killian sighed. "Fine." He pulled her into a long kiss.

Regina pulled away with a smile. "We should get back before Miss Swan comes looking for us."

"If we must." Killian allowed her to lead him back into the dining room.

Emma looked up from her phone as they entered the room. She noted their intertwined hands with a smile. "So, I'm going over my parent's apartment to talk to them. I'll be back around 11."

"Okay. Have fun." Regina responded.

The blonde waved goodbye and left. Killian sat down and pulled Regina onto his lap. She laughed and rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head.

"Are you tired?"

"Mhmm."

Killian smiled. "Go to bed, love."

"I'm fine. I should wait up for my mother." Regina responded sleepily. She tried to cover up a yawn as he laughed.

"She's with Gold, so she will be fine." He picked her up and carried her to her room. He put her on the bed and she laughed as he tucked her in. "I would wish you good luck with Henry tomorrow, but I know you will be fine."

"Thank you." Regina sighed. "I wish you could stay tonight."

"Me too, love. But I will talk to you tomorrow, alright? I love you." He leaned forward to give her a short but sweet kiss.

"I love you too."


	25. Chapter 25

_once again, i am so sorry for the ridiculous wait... hopefully i'll be able to update more often now that i'm done my classes. i have one final to take next week and then i graduate on sunday, so after that i should have way more free time!_

_just so you know, this is a loooong chapter. there was no good place to split it, so i kept it as one. i hope you have a bit a free time to read this now :)_

* * *

Regina knocked on the room at Granny's that Neal was staying at. She took a deep breath before plastering on a smile when Neal opened the door.

"Hey! C'mon in. Henry is just brushing his teeth. He should be out in a minute." He stood back and allowed her to walk in.

"Great. Thanks for taking him last night."

"No problem. He's been pretty quiet. Is everything alright?" Neal raised his eyebrow.

Regina studied the room around her as she debated her next words. He would find out eventually, just as the rest of the town would. But if she told Neal, he would tell his father. She certainly did not want to deal with Gold trying to play daddy and grandpa any time soon. She sighed as she settled on a lie. "Yeah, everything is fine. I'm afraid it's been a bit difficult for me to keep my promise to not use magic. We had a little argument."

"Ah. That I understand."

"Because of your father." Regina said simply.

Neal smiled. "Because of our father. He is trying his best to stop using magic too, you know. I realize it's not easy and you both are having difficulties."

"I suppose the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Regina sighed before sitting herself on the couch.

Neal moved to sit next to her. "I talked to the therapist the other day. Dr. Hopper?" He waited for Regina to nod. "He said that magic for some is an addiction. Once you start down that path, it is incredibly difficult to step off it without help."

"So Gold and I should form a Magic Anonymous club?" Regina interrupted.

He shook his head. "No. I'm trying to tell you that I'm here for you. If you feel the urge to use magic, you can always talk to me. I get that you have been avoiding me because you don't want to deal with all the crap that comes with being the Dark One's daughter, but you still have me." Regina looked away guiltily as he continued. "I'm staying in town for my son, but I'm also staying for you. Because whether you like it or not, we are family. And I am willing to wait as long as it takes until you are ready to let me in."

Regina looked up at him again and gave him a thankful smile. She was saved from responding by Henry, who came out of the bathroom. He gave her a quick greeting and she watched him grab his shoes and put them on. Once he was done, he gave Neal a hug.

"Thanks for letting me stay over, dad."

"No problem, kid. Be good alright? I'll see you soon." Neal handed him his backpack.

Henry nodded as Regina stood. The three walked to the door and Neal held it open for them. Regina paused as she passed him. "Why don't you come over for dinner tomorrow night? You can tell me about Rumple before he was the Dark One. Is six o'clock okay?"

Neal's face lit up with a smile that reminded her so much of Henry. Now she knew where he got that look from. "Sounds good. I'll see you then."

Henry looked excited as Neal shut the door behind them. "So does this mean my whole family gets to be together?"

Regina felt her heart swell as she realized that Henry still thought she was part of his family. She reasoned that he wouldn't think that if he was still really mad at her. She also realized that she probably should have asked Emma if it was okay to invite Neal to dinner. She sighed before deciding that her house guest could go out to dinner with her mother or Ruby if she really didn't want to be around her ex.

Henry looked around when he realized that Regina was not leading him home, but next door. "Are we going to Granny's?"

"Yes. And then we are going to do whatever you want to do. Today, it's just the two of us. How does that sound?"

He grinned. "Awesome! Does this mean I can have ice cream for dinner?"

Regina groaned. "If it's what you really want."

Henry nearly bounced into the diner with excitement. He almost tripped Ruby, who was carrying a large tray of food. Regina put her arm around his shoulder to steady him as she led them to a booth. Once they sat down and ordered, he looked at her. "Is this because of..." He trailed off as he glanced at her stomach.

She leaned forward slightly. "It's part of the reason. I want you to know that you are still my son, Henry. Nothing will change that; not Emma Swan, not this baby, not anything. I'm always going to love you no matter what. And besides, we haven't had a day with just the two of us in a long time."

Henry gave her a timid smile. "I missed our days."

"Me too, sweetie."

Ruby brought them their drinks a moment later. She gave Regina friendly smile before asking Henry how school was going. Granny called her a moment later, so she excused herself and went into the kitchen.

Henry looked hesitant as he played with the handle on his mug of hot chocolate. Regina reached over to squeeze his hand. "How about after breakfast we can go to your castle and you can ask me anything you want? If you'll allow me in your castle, of course."

His face scrunched into a thoughtful look and he nodded. Regina couldn't help but feel nervous at what questions he was likely coming up with, but she tried to shake the feeling off. She would be honest with her son.

She managed to distract him by convincing him to talk about school and some friends that he was making. Much to her dismay, one of them was Jefferson's daughter, but she was happy that he was making friends. He explained the cool things he saw at the science fair and she laughed when he described how one of the volcanoes exploded all over the teacher.

Once they were done with their food, Regina paid and followed Henry outside. He grabbed her hand and nearly pulled her to his castle. She sat next to him on the small platform and braced herself for the multitude of questions she knew was coming.

"Did you know Aurora? From Sleeping Beauty?"

Regina blinked. She expected questions about Killian and the baby first, not questions about the Enchanted Forest. She shook her head. "No, but I knew Maleficent. She was my best friend."

"She cursed Aurora to fall into the enchanted sleep when she touched the spindle, right? And she was a dragon?"

"Right. Mal taught me how to make that potion so I could... curse Snow. She also showed me how to be a shapeshifter."

"Cool. Can you shapeshift into anything?"

"Anything I want." She grinned.

He grinned back. "Can any magical person shapeshift?"

"No, it's pretty rare. Most of the time the ability to shapeshift is natural, like for werewolves, and sometimes others can learn how to change. It takes a lot of practice and it is incredibly difficult. But once you master it, changing is easy."

"So you, Ruby, and Maleficent can change. Can Gold?"

"He always said that people were afraid of his true form so he had no reason to change into someone else. He could get everything that he wanted because he was the Dark One."

"Oh. Your mom can change too, right? Like she did when she pretended to kill Archie?"

Regina stiffened slightly at the reminder. "Yes. She has always been very good at shifting into someone or something else when she needs to."

Henry seemed to sense her lack of comfort with the subject, so he didn't push further. He was quiet for a moment while he looked at the forest around them. "Is Captain Hook going to move in with us once the baby is born?"

"How would you feel about that?"

"I dunno. He's cool and everything, but..." He trailed off.

Regina put her fingers under his chin and pulled him to look at her. "But what? You can talk to me, Henry." She said softly.

"Well my brother or sister gets to grow up with their dad. We both have an awesome mom, but Hook is always going to be there for them too. I wish... I wish he could be my dad too." Henry stared at his hands.

"Oh Henry."

He interrupted her. "I like Neal, I do. But he and my mom are never going to be a family, at least not like you and Hook."

"Henry." Regina waited for him to look at her. He looked guilty for voicing his thoughts so she gave him a soft smile. "Neal and Emma both love you very much. Even if they aren't together, they are always there for you. And so is Killian. I know he would be delighted to do things with you. In fact, you could show him how to play baseball or something."

They both laughed at the thought of the pirate trying to learn how to play a very foreign sport.

"This baby is not replacing you, Henry. You are still my son. You are most certainly a part of my family, including Killian and your little brother or sister."

"So can Killian be like my stepdad? I already have two moms, so why not two dads?" Henry smiled.

Regina laughed. "Absolutely. I'm sure he will be very happy to be your stepdad."

"Is he ever going to be my actual stepdad?" Henry asked curiously. He smiled at Regina's look of surprise.

"I don't know. We need to deal with my mother before anything happens. Perhaps once she is dealt with, Killian can move in. After that... I don't know. But for now, we have to deal with Cora."

"Okay. Can I help paint the nursery?"

"Of course you can."

"Can we start today? We can pick out the paint now!" Henry said excitedly. "Will Hook be upset if we get it without him?"

Regina smiled. "No, he won't. I'll send him pictures so he can help us too. Let's go back to the house and get my car, alright? Then we can go to the hardware store."

Henry gave her a big smile. They walked home quietly back to the Mills Manor, where Regina grabbed her car keys and met Henry in the car. She drove them to the town's only hardware store and parked in front. Henry rushed to get out of the car and she chuckled as he disappeared into the store ahead of her. She walked to the isle that held the paint colors. Henry was already studying them. He picked one up and showed it to her. "What about this one?"

Regina studied the color with a smile. It was a bright blue, similar to the shade in his room. "What if I have a girl?"

Henry scrunched his face and looked at the color again. "Girls can like blue." He shrugged and put the card back.

Regina picked up a pale yellow card. "How about this?"

He shook his head. "No way."

After a few minutes of browsing, Regina's eyes settled on a light green color. She smiled and held it up. Henry nodded instantly. "Perfect! It reminds me of an apple."

Regina laughed as she thought about the nickname she and Killian gave to their baby. She sent a picture of the color to him. "It is perfect."

Killian responded a moment later. _'Green apple paint for our little Apple. I love it'_

They asked one of the workers for a gallon of the paint and waited for her to complete the order. Henry was excitedly explaining all the things that he was going to teach his brother or sister as they grabbed the necessary tools to paint. It only took a few minutes for the girl to hand the paint over. They brought their things to the cashier and paid. Henry insisted on carrying the can out to the car. The drive back was filled with him asking questions about what the baby's room was going to be like. They brought their things into the house and into the guest bedroom that was to be turned into the nursery.

Regina flicked her fingers and the furniture disappeared. She grabbed newspapers to place on the ground and showed Henry how to tape near the woodwork. Both of them changed into older clothing in case the painting got messy.

They finished the first wall and Regina stepped back. "It looks good. Let's take a break for lunch."

Henry nodded and they went downstairs into the kitchen. They both washed their hands and Regina started to make sandwiches for them.

Henry sat at the island. "Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Well my birthday is coming up and I have an idea of what I want."

"Is that so?" Regina asked with a smile. "And what would that be?"

"A trip to Disney World with you, Hook, Emma, and Neal." He gave her a hopeful smile.

Regina paused to look at him. "Disney World? In Florida?"

Henry nodded. "Yeah. It would be really fun! Plus you can take a break from your mom for awhile."

"I don't know, Henry."

"Please, mom? I really want to go."

"We will see, okay?"

"Okay. It could be really good bonding before the baby comes." Henry tried one last time.

Regina gave him a look as she realized what he was trying to do. She slid his plate over to him and poured them both glasses of apple cider. "What do you want to do later?"

"Can we go to see Hook? He said he would take me sailing again."

"Sounds good. I'll text him and let him know that we are coming over." Regina picked up her phone and texted Killian.

They finished lunch quietly and headed back upstairs to finish painting. Much to their surprise, it didn't take them long to finish the room. Henry gave Regina a look and accused her of using magic to hurry it along when he wasn't looking. She laughed and denied using any magic. The two of them changed into clean clothes and washed any extra paint off of them.

Henry waited patiently for her downstairs and opened the door for her when she stepped off the stairs. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and together they walked to the marina. Henry grabbed her hand and they stepped past the barrier. Killian was waiting for them. He was leaning up against the side of the ship when they entered, but he stood up when he saw them. He gave Henry a high five. "Ready to sail, mate?"

Henry saluted him. "Aye, aye Captain!"

Killian smiled. "Good form, lad!"

"Thanks!" Henry glanced at his mother. "Can I go explore the ship?"

"Absolutely." Killian responded.

Henry grinned and disappeared below the deck. Killian waited a moment before pulling Regina into his arms and kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss, before pressing a soft kiss to his lips and resting their foreheads together.

"Hi." She said breathlessly. "How are you?"

"Better now that you're here, love. I'm guessing things are better with Henry?"

"Yes. He helped me paint the nursery." She pulled out her phone to show him a picture of the completed room.

"It looks fantastic. So he isn't mad at you?"

"No. He was upset that Apple will grow up with both of us as a family, but his parents aren't together. He wants you to be his honorary father."

Killian raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Mmhmm." She hummed.

"Wow. I'd love that."

"Good, because he is already asking when you are going to be his actual stepdad." Regina grinned.

He laughed. "And what did you tell him?"

"That we had to deal with my mother first." She answered. She tilted her head back so she could study his face. "What are you thinking?"

"Well-"

Henry joined them on the deck and interrupted Killian with an excited, "Mom!"

Regina let go of Killian, but he kept his arm wrapped around her. "Yes, Henry?" She asked with a smile.

"This ship is awesome! Captain, can we go sailing now?"

"We can. Do you remember what I showed you last time?"

Henry nodded proudly and moved to the wheel. Killian let go of her to join him, but she pulled him back. "Don't think you are getting out of telling me what you were thinking."

"I wouldn't dream of it, love." Killian pressed his lips to hers. "C'mon, I'll show you how to sail." He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the upper deck, where Henry was eagerly waiting.

"This is so cool! First I learn how to dance like a prince and then I get to sail a pirate ship! Grace is going to be so jealous!"

Regina and Killian laughed. He nodded. "Indeed she will. Let's adjust the sails."

Regina waved her hand and instantly the sails were adjusted, the ship was untied from the dock, and the anchor was lifted. "We are ready to go."

Killian gave her a look. "That's cheating, love."

"She cheated when we painted the nursery, too." Henry pointed out.

"It's not cheating." Regina defended.

"If you say so." Killian teased. He turned to Henry. "I'll put her out of the port and once we are on the open seas, you can sail, alright?"

"Okay." Henry nodded.

Killian expertly brought the ship out of Storybrooke's marina. As soon as he knew they were clear, he stepped back so Henry could take over. Regina looked a little nervous, so he pulled her into his arms. "Relax, love. He's a fast learner. He will be fine. I'm quite confident that the two of us can stop anything bad from happening."

Regina leaned against him and they watched as Henry steered. She rested her head against his chest and sighed happily.

Eventually, Henry convinced her to sail the ship so Killian showed her how. She picked it up quite quickly and she steered for a while before Killian decided it was time to bring the Jolly Roger back to the port. He and Henry hopped off to tie the ship back to the docks before Killian helped Regina onto the dock.

"Thank you, kind sir." She said teasingly.

Killian mockingly bowed in response. "It is my honor, Your Majesty."

They turned to see Henry grinning from ear to ear. Regina blushed and looked down.

"Where are you off to now?" Killian asked.

Henry looked at his mom. "Can we go to Granny's again for dinner?"

"Yes, we can." Regina responded with a smile.

"Can Hook come too?" He asked.

Regina looked at Killian, giving him the chance to decide for himself. He hesitated. "I would love to, but I don't want to take the chance that Cora might see us."

"What if we got the food to go and we ate it in the park?" Henry suggested.

"That's a good idea." Regina said as she thought about it.

Henry turned to Killian again. "So will you come with us then?"

"Sure. I'll meet you there in a few."

Regina nodded, understanding his reluctance to be seen together while Cora was around. Since the time she caught him at the manor, they had been much more careful about seeing each other in public. While she knew that she could handle herself against her mother, Killian was doing everything he could to prevent Cora from laying a hand on her, even if it meant that they could only see each other at night or when her mother left. She gave Killian a quick kiss before she and Henry started walking to the diner.

The usually busy diner was relatively quiet, so Granny looked up when they entered. She greeted the mother/son duo and pointed at the counter for them to sit. Regina followed her gaze as she looked at Ruby, who seemed to be flirting with one of the customers. The older woman rolled her eyes and Regina smiled. She asked for her regular -minus the coffee- and Henry wanted a burger and fries.

"Coming right up." Granny gave them a kind smile. She looked at her granddaughter again. "Ruby! Get back to work." She barked.

Ruby rolled her eyes and moved over to clean the next table. It was clear that she was still talking to the customer as she worked. Henry leaned closer. "Who is she talking to?"

"I don't know." Regina answered. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him without seeing his face first.

The bell above the door rang as Killian walked in. He gave her a slight nod and sat on the far side of the counter. Granny moved over to talk to him and he ordered his dinner to go as they had. Henry looked around as Ruby's friend stood up. He pulled on Regina's sleeve as he finally saw the mystery man's face. Regina turned to face him and bit her lip to keep from laughing as she realized who it was.

Her lieutenant blushed furiously at being caught by his boss. She gave him a sweet smile. "Hello Zane. How are you?"

"Fine, Your Majesty. Hello Henry." He replied quietly in an uncharacteristic moment of nervousness. He glanced over at Killian, who was scrolling through his phone. Zane gave Regina a curious look and stuck his hands in his pockets. "What are you two up to?"

"We are spending the whole day together like we used to." Henry replied happily.

"Sounds like fun."

Henry nodded.

Zane grinned before turning to Regina. "I'd like to talk to you tomorrow, if that's all right. I think we have some business to handle."

Regina frowned. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, it's nothing to worry about. But you told me to check in with you."

She nodded. "Right. That sounds fine. You can come over at any time."

"I was actually hoping you would join me for a walk instead. Perhaps in the morning?" Zane raised his eyebrow.

Realization crossed her face as she figured that Zane didn't want to talk business with her mother around. "That would be lovely."

He nodded and gave Henry a friendly smile. "Perfect. I'll see you guys later." He waved at Ruby again before leaving the diner.

Granny placed their food on the counter in front of them and Regina paid her. "Have a good night."

The older woman smiled and nodded. "You too dear."

Henry waved and grabbed the bag of food before pulling Regina out the door with him. They walked to the small park and set their stuff on one of the picnic tables.

"I think your lieutenant has a crush on Ruby." Henry said matter of factly.

"Really? And why do you think that?" Regina asked with a smile.

"Well I see him at the diner a lot. Last night, he and Ruby took a walk together after her shift. I saw because I was at my dad's room in Granny's. And his face got all red like he was embarrassed when he saw you."

"I think you're right, Henry."

"We should have Operation... Red." Henry looked thoughtful. "Yeah, red as in Red Riding Hood or the color of love. Will you help me set them up?"

Regina laughed. "I don't think they need any help, sweetheart. They will figure it out on their own."

"Yeah, but we should help them figure it out faster!" Henry turned as Killian finally joined them. He waved at the pirate before the older man kissed Regina and sat next to her. "Captain, will you help me with Operation Red?"

"What's Operation Red?"

"We are going to convince Ruby and Lieutenant Zane that they belong together! Maybe we can start with the scene from 101 Dalmatians! Do you think we could borrow Pongo and another dog?" Henry said quickly.

Killian looked confused at the movie reference, but he smiled. "Ruby and Zane? It is that obvious now?"

Regina turned to look at him. "You've known about their little flirtation?"

He nodded. "It gets kind of boring when you aren't free, so sometimes I go on the rooftops and watch people. Recently, the two of them have been talking little walks together. They are very secretive about it though. It's... kind of cute. How did you know?"

"I know Zane better than anyone else. He was the only officer at the palace that hadn't known Queen Eva, so he was loyal to me. I trusted him, so we got to know each other pretty well. I figured that he had feelings for Ruby, but I wasn't sure until Henry and I saw them flirting." Regina grinned.

"Which is why we need to help them! Will you help me, Hook? Please?" Henry gave Killian his best puppy dog eyes.

The pirate tried to resist, but ended up sighing in defeat. Regina laughed as he replied. "Alright, lad. What's the plan?"

Henry grinned from ear to ear and they spent the rest of the dinner throwing ideas back and forth. Regina gave them a few ideas, but she was content on sitting back and listening to them. After a few over the top suggestions, she laughed and shook her head. "How about we just set up a romantic dinner for them?"

The two boys went silent as they thought it over. They looked at each other and nodded seriously. Henry looked at her again. "How can we do it?"

"Well, I could send Zane on a mission and we could sneak into his home and make the dinner for him. Somehow, we can get Ruby over there and surprise them."

"He is living in one of the homes that you created for your army, right?" Killian asked.

"Right. He has a private apartment because of his status. It's at the edge of town, so no one will see us sneak in."

"That's perfect! Can we do it the night after tomorrow?" Henry asked.

"Sure."

"Awesome!" He said. "Can I go on the swings for a bit please?"

Regina sighed before nodding. "Sure, sweetheart."

Henry grinned as he ran to the nearby playground. Killian pulled Regina closer and kissed her forehead. She pulled her legs across his lap and leaned into him.

"Neal wants to talk about our father. I invited him over for dinner tomorrow." She answered his unasked question.

"Are you nervous?" He asked quietly.

"Not really. I'm just not ready for things to change, I guess. I've been avoiding him and Rumple because I don't want to deal with them being part of my family. It's stupid." She sighed.

Killian shook his head. "No, it isn't. You grew up as an only child. It's just been you and Henry for the last eleven years. Now you have a father and a brother that is a couple hundred years older than you. It's different, and I can't blame you for not wanting to deal with it."

Regina chuckled. "It is different. I keep forgetting that Neal is much older than I am. He looks so young. Do you think Emma has realized how old he is yet?"

He laughed. "Probably not. So he was a couple hundred years old and she was what, eighteen, when they met?"

"Something like that. Although I suppose that I can't judge. After all, you are older than Neal."

"True..." Killian said slowly. "But I look damn good for my age, don't I?" He winked.

Regina laughed before pressing her lips to his. "Yes, you certainly do."

They leaned back and watched Henry run around the playground. After he tired of the swings, he pulled his wooden swords from his backpack and handed one expectantly to Killian. The pirate took it and joined him by the slide, where they battled for control of the castle. Regina laughed and pulled out her phone to record the sight. She sighed as she watched them -her boys- act as if they were a family. It warmed her heart watching them fool around together. Regina had always known that Killian was going to be a wonderful father and moments like this proved that to her.

Her phone vibrated with the arrival of a new text and she opened it. It was Emma, wondering where they were. She felt slightly guilty for forgetting to tell her houseguest where she and Henry were going, but she was surprised it had taken the blonde this long to ask her. She assumed the Sheriff had just gotten home from work. She answered with a short explanation and a promise to return home soon. Regina watched Killian dramatically fall to the ground as Henry cried in victory and climbed to the top of the playground.

Killian pretended to be holding on for dear life after Henry 'stabbed' him. He looked up at her and winked. "M'lady, please. Help a poor pirate out."

Regina smiled as she stood and walked over to him. "And how might I save you? You've lost so much blood already."

"True Love's Kiss!" Henry shouted from his place above.

She pretended to think about it for a moment. "Could it work? Could it truly save this dashing pirate?"

"There's only one way to find out, love. And soon, please." Killian said with a smile.

Regina smirked as she kissed him. Killian sat up quickly and pulled her closer as he kissed her fiercely. Henry cheered and made his way down the slide to join them on the ground. Killian stood and helped Regina up.

"You did it!" Henry said enthusiastically.

They laughed. Killian nodded and wrapped his arm around Regina's waist. She smiled and pulled Henry to her side. "You've become quite the knight, Henry. I'm proud of you."

Henry's smile widened. "Thanks, mom. Now I just have to learn how to ride a horse! Will you come with me next time I go to the stables so I can show you my steed? I think I'm almost ready to ride."

"I'd love to. Perhaps we can go tomorrow."

"Yeah!" Henry shouted. He tired to cover a yawn, but was not successful.

Regina smiled. "Why don't we get you home before Emma comes looking for us?"

"Okay." Henry said dejectedly. "Bye, Hook."

Killed looked surprised as the boy wrapped his arms around his waist. He returned the hug, and ruffled his hair. "Bye, Henry. Be good for your mom, alright?"

"Of course! I'll wait over there, mom." He said before grabbing the wooden swords and his bag.

"He's quite perceptive, isn't he?" Killian asked as he watched him run.

Regina nodded. "Yes, he is."

He turned to give her a light kiss. "He's going to fall asleep the second you get home."

"He's usually pretty good about fighting it. He might last ten minutes."

The pirate laughed. "That's quite possible. He seems to be doing much better than last night. I think today was a wonderful idea."

Regina nodded. "It was. I'm glad he isn't mad. He is going to be a wonderful older brother."

"He will. And speaking of older brothers, when are you going to tell Neal that he is going to be an uncle?" Killian smiled as she glared at him.

"I don't know. Tomorrow, I guess. Secrets don't last long in this town and its going to be obvious soon enough. I suppose I'll have to tell Gold soon, too."

Killian raised his eyebrows. "If he doesn't hate me enough already, just wait until he finds out that I got his daughter pregnant." He winked.

Regina laughed. "I can't wait to see the look on his face. It will be one more thing to look forward to after my mother is gone."

He nodded. "Yes, it will. We can tell him together."

"I can't wait." Regina kissed him. She glanced at Henry, who was leading against a tree, struggling to stay awake. Killian followed her gaze and laughed.

"I'll let you go now. I'll talk to you later. Be safe, love."

Regina nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too." Killian gave her a goodbye kiss and walked in the direction of his ship.

She headed over to Henry and wrapped her arm around his shoulders as they started to walk back to the house. It was clear that Henry was falling asleep by the way he kept his head down and allowed her to guide him home. By the time they reached the manor, he was leaning against her and she was trying not to laugh. She pushed open the door and helped Henry through it.

"Henry? Sweetheart, we are home." She said softly. There was no way she could carry her 11-year-old up the stairs to his bedroom.

He opened his eyes and nodded tiredly before giving her a hug goodnight and trudging up the stairs. Regina walked into the kitchen, where she found her mother and a very uncomfortable-looking Emma. Despite the fact both of them had been living in the same house for weeks, Emma still felt awkward being left alone with Cora. Usually, Regina and Emma return from their separate offices around the same time, so Emma's time with Cora was limited.

"Regina, how are you dear?" Cora said as she looked up from her spell book. "Did your day with Henry go well?"

"I'm fine. It went quite well. What are you two doing?" Regina said as she set her jacket down.

"Well, Emma insisted on cooking for us and I am reading up on some spells Rumple suggested." She answered.

Emma rolled her eyes as she stirred the pan. "I do know how to cook, you know."

"Mhmhm." Cora answered as she returned to her book.

Regina sighed as she leaned over to read the spells her mother was looking at. "What kind of spells?"

"Nothing horrible, Regina. Don't worry."

"Too late." She muttered. "What are you making, Emma?"

"It's called a tex mex dinner. It has rice, chicken, corn, and cheese. It's good, I swear." Emma insisted.

"Alright. I'm afraid that Henry and I already ate and he went straight to bed. But you can put whatever is leftover in the fridge." Regina smiled. She sat at the island next to her mother.

Emma gave her a look. "Of course you already ate. I made enough for a small army. And how is the kid already in bed? What did you do to him?"

"He had a long day. We did a lot today. And we painted the baby's room."

"Wow, already? What color is it?"

"I'm 12 weeks along, Emma. This is a good time to start preparing for the baby. Henry wanted to help, so we decided to do it today. And you can go ahead and see."

Cora looked up from her book to disappear in a puff of smoke. Emma rolled her eyes. "Make sure this doesn't burn for a moment, alright?"

Regina gave her a look before waving her off. Emma left to go upstairs and Regina stood to check on the food. She had to admit that despite Emma's lack of cooking skills, the meal did look and smell good. Cora returned to her seat a moment later and Emma walked into the kitchen shortly after her.

"It looks wonderful, dear." Cora said.

"Yeah, it's a nice color. Reminds me of-" Emma started.

"Apples?" Regina interrupted. She smiled. "That's what Henry and I said."

"Did the baby's father agree as well?" Cora said nonchalantly.

Regina paused before sighing. "Mother, I already told you that he doesn't matter. He isn't going to be in our lives."

"Are you sure, Regina? You never know when your past could come back to haunt you."

She scoffed. She certainly knew that. After all, she hadn't expected her mother to come back into her life.

Cora continued. "What if he wants to be in your child's life? You don't want another custody battle, do you?" She gave Emma a pointed look. "We could just get rid of him now."

"Mother, he isn't in the picture now and he isn't going to be. You don't need to worry about him."

"He already is part of your life, Regina. You can't just pretend he doesn't exist."

"And why is that?"

"Why are you being so secretive? I'm not going to harm him unless you want me to."

Regina narrowed her eyes at her. "I doubt that. My child is safe, so there is nothing to worry about. Her father is not in the picture, end of story."

"Are you sure?" Cora pressed.

"Yes, mother! It was just a one night stand, alright? He means nothing and he certainly doesn't care about his child. Let it go!" Regina yelled. She took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. She let her irritation show so Cora would think that she was angry with the father, not her.

Emma finished cooking and gave her a timid smile. "So, uh, her? It's a girl?"

Regina relaxed slightly and smiled. "I don't know for sure, but I have a feeling."

The blonde nodded. "I always knew Henry was a boy. I could just tell. Do you have any names picked out?"

"Not yet. But before I forget to tell you, I invited Neal to dinner tomorrow night."

"Are you kidding?" Emma gave her a look.

She shrugged. "I figured you could hang out with Ruby or your mother if you didn't want to be around him."

"Neal is Baelfire, correct?" Cora asked.

Regina nodded. "He wanted to talk about everything, so I just invited him over."

"And his mother is dead?"

"Yes. Rumple killed his wife Milah."

Emma coughed on her drink. Regina raised her eyebrow as Cora gave her an odd look. The blonde shook her head. "Milah, aka Hook's True Love, was Neal's mom? Are you kidding?"

"No, I'm not kidding. How do you know of her?"

"I saw Hook's tattoo when we were on the beanstalk. He told me about her. That's why he and Gold hate each other, isn't it?"

Regina nodded.

"The pirate stole Rumple's wife from him. She left her son to be a pirate and she paid for it with her life. Rumple did what any of us would do. The pirate will pay eventually as well." Cora said.

Regina paled slightly as she turned to Cora. "Mother, are you and Gold planning on killing Hook? Is that what you two have been up to lately?"

Cora misread Regina's worried look as concern for her. "Oh dear, don't worry about me. I can certainly protect myself from a lowly pirate. Rumple's plan is almost ready. We can rid the town of that bastard before he steals someone else's wife."

She looked horrified, and opened her mouth to speak before Emma interrupted. "He's not causing any harm here. He hasn't even tried to be near Gold for months. You can't just kill him."

"Of course we can, dear. I only needed him to get to Storybrooke. He should have been dead as soon as we landed here, but I decided to find my daughter first." She reached over to squeeze her daughter's hand.

"But if he hadn't stolen Milah, you never would have met Rumple. So technically, Regina wouldn't exist without him. You wouldn't be here, talking about your grandchild, without him. So as thanks, you should let him live." Emma knew she was grasping at straws, but she hoped the odd logic would convince Cora to leave him alone.

Cora gave her a look. Regina finally composed herself and gave her mother a sarcastic smile. "She is the Savior. She wouldn't be doing her job if she didn't try to save everyone, including the pirate. Unfortunately, if you kill anyone in the town, Snow and her dearest husband will force Henry to move back with them." Regina took a deep breath, not caring if she looked as desperate as she felt. "Please, mother. I don't want to lose Henry again. Hook is of no concern to us now."

Cora sighed. "I will ask Rumple to leave him alone."

Regina nodded. "Thank you. I'm going to the office for a bit. I have some things to do."

Emma gave her a look that said she was clearly not happy to be left with Cora again.

Her mother gave her a disapproving look. "Regina, you work far too much. It can't be good for the baby."

"I'm okay, Mother. I am the Mayor again. I have work to do. Running a town is not quite the same as running a kingdom. There is quite a bit more paperwork involved."

She was clearly not pleased, but she nodded her head anyways. Regina said goodbye to them and left. She stuck her hands in the pockets of her coat as she made her way to the marina. She stepped through the barrier on the Jolly Roger and called out Killian's name as she moved across the deck. He walked up the stairs and she quickly hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her with a confused look on his face.

"What are you doing here, love?"

"My mother-" Regina started. Killian pulled back to examine her face. She shook her head. "No, she didn't touch me. But she and Rumple were planning on killing you. They had a plan, and Emma and I managed to convince her to leave you alone, but what if she was lying? It wouldn't be the first time that she did that. I don't know if I could survive losing you, Killian."

Killian pulled her back into his arms and held her tightly. "Regina. It's okay, I'm not going anywhere. She isn't going to hurt me, okay? I'm pretty difficult to get rid of." He felt her laugh. He pulled her hair out of her face and rubbed her back comfortingly. "I'm going to be here for you and Apple. We are going to watch our little baby grow up together, and no one- not your mother or that crocodile - will get in the way of that, alright?"

She nodded and sniffed. "Please just be careful, Killian."

"I will, love. I'll be fine." He kissed the top of her head. "How long can you stay?"

"I told my mother I was at the office finishing up some paperwork."

"On a Saturday? And she believed you?"

Regina picked her head up and smiled. "She hasn't quite grasped the fact that I can have the weekends off if I finish all my paperwork."

"Good. Hopefully she won't realize any time soon." He grinned. He let go of her, but grabbed her hand.

"Where are we going?" She asked as he pulled her to the stairs. "I can't stay the night."

"I know that, love. But unless you would like to continue standing on the deck, we are going to my room."

"To?"

Killian gave her a look. "To lay down. Unless, of course, there's something else you'd rather do."

Regina laughed. "Laying down is fine. We need to talk anyways."

He paused as she sat down on the bed. He joined her and studied her face.

"It's not bad, I promise! What you said, earlier... about being Henry's stepfather? What were you going to say?"

Killian ran his fingers through his hair. "I love you, Regina. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I was going to ask how you feel about marriage. I know that your first marriage didn't go well, but I just thought, or well maybe I didn't think about it. I just..." He mumbled nervously.

Regina just smiled and kissed him. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you too, Killian. As a family."

He looked surprised. "Does that mean you will marry me?"

"It means that I might be open to the suggestion. If you asked properly, of course." She bit her lip. "This isn't like my marriage to Leopold. In any possible way. I love you so much. I do want to be with you."

"Good." He pulled her closer to kiss her. "I promise that I will never treat you like he did. Ever. You mean the world to me. I will treat you like the queen that you are every single day that we are together, marriage or not."

"Killian..."

"Let me finish, love. I've spent the last 200 years wasting my life. I was too preoccupied with getting revenge that I didn't realize what I was missing out on. But you made me realize how much I want a family. I'm going to be a father and I have never been happier. I couldn't care less about the crocodile. For the first time in along time, I have a family again. I have you to thank for that, love. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you know how happy you make me."

"I do know, dear. Because you make me just as happy. Making Snow suffer.. it doesn't matter anymore. I know now that it's not going to make me happy. But you do. And for that, I am grateful." She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her so they were both laying down."Do think that maybe our quests for revenge weren't a complete waste? They brought us together after all. If you hadn't gone to Neverland to figure out how to kill Rumple, you would been dead by now. If I hadn't want to get revenge on Snow, I wouldn't have cast this curse and we wouldn't be here now. I did a lot of things that I regret, but it gave me Henry, you, and Apple."

"I think you're right, love. It makes you think of things differently, doesn't it? Maybe all of the pain we went through brought us together."'

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_that last part was my favorite to write :) i hope you like it! feel free to let me know your thoughts in the reviews :)_

_the next person to review will be my 100th reviewer and i will try to write whatever prompt you give me! :D_


	26. Chapter 26

_another long wait... i apologize. your reward for waiting through my writer's block is a nice long chapter. let me know how you think :)_

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Regina woke to Henry gently shaking her. She opened her eyes to look at her son. "What is it, Henry?" She sat up as she realized that it was unusual for him to wake her up. He hadn't done that since he started reading the fairy tale book. "Are you alright?"

He nodded. "I'm fine. But you have to get up so we can go to the stables! I want to show you my horse."

"What time is it?"

"10. You never sleep this late. Emma made me come and check on you earlier."

She smiled. "I went to the office to finish up my paperwork. I got in pretty late last night."

Henry paused for a moment. "Okay. So can we go now?"

"Let me get ready, alright? Did you already have breakfast?"

"Yes. Emma made omelettes for us. Your mom went for a walk. She said she would be back later on. I'm going downstairs so you can get ready. Hurry!"

Regina smiled at his enthusiasm as she went into her closet.

* * *

"Grandpa said that the horse would let me know when I could ride him." Henry explained as they walked to the stall his horse was in.

"He's right. Your horse has to feel comfortable around you."

"I just wish he would let me know soon!" He said with a bored expression.

Regina laughed. "I'm sure he will."

They reached the stall and Henry proudly pointed at the light colored horse. "Here he is!"

"He's beautiful, Henry." Regina held out her hand for the horse to nuzzle. She pulled out an apple and gave it to him. He neighed happily before taking it from her hand.

"Do you want to help me clean the stall?" He asked hopefully.

"I don't think you need my help, Henry."

He pouted for a moment before moving to clean the stall. Regina stepped back so she wouldn't be in the way. She walked around the stables to see if anything had changed. She usually spent the anniversary of Daniel's death here, but she hadn't been back since Whale brought him back to life and she was forced to kill him. It was painful even now and she tried to focus on her son and the good feelings he brought. She turned to watch a trainer teaching one of the horses to jump. She placed her hand on her belly and leaned on the fence. Regina was just about to call out a suggestion when Henry appeared at her side.

"I cleaned out his stall. I'm gonna take him for a walk now."

"Alright, sweetheart. Be careful!"

"I know, mom." Henry said as he led his horse out of the stall.

Regina watched them walk away for a moment before reaching into her pocket to pull out her phone. She quickly dialed Zane's number and waited for him to answer.

_'Hello?'_

'Zane. It's-'

_'Regina. How was your day with Henry?'_

'It went quite well. I just wanted to check in with you.'

_'Good. Uh, right. Where are you right now?'_

"I'm at the stables with Henry. Why?'

_'I'll be there in five.'_ Zane hung up before Regina could ask why.

It took him less than five minutes to join her. She turned and gave him a look. "What is it, Zane? Is my mother causing trouble?"

"Do you know where she has been going when she visits her friend?"

"Honestly, I haven't paid much attention to it. I've been glad to get her out of my hair. I assumed that it was Rumple. But I'm guessing that's not right."

Zane shook his head and leaned into the fence. He put one foot on the lowest bar and looked at her. "She's been meeting with Theodora."

"The wicked witch of the west? From Oz? How does she even know her?"

"I'm not sure. But I'm worried about what they might be planning. Two witches of their power together is not a good thing."

"No, it is not." Regina sighed.

"Do you want us to handle it?"

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy. If they are planning something, my mother won't back down without a fight. I'll talk to her. Perhaps Rumple knows what they are up to. I'll talk to him later."

Zane nodded. "Alright. So, anything you want to tell me?"

Regina gave him a confused look. "Not that I know of."

Zane grinned anyways. "Congratulations. You and the Captain must be incredibly happy."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Regina tried to ignore the pointed look he gave her, but she laughed and turned to him. "Thank you. How did you know?"

"I'm a werewolf, remember? I knew I'd figure it out soon enough. I think Granny knows as well. Ruby hasn't quite picked up on it just yet, but I think she realizes something is off. I'm sure she will figure it out soon. Do your parents know?"

"My mother does. I'll tell Rumple soon enough although neither of them should know about Hook. I'm telling Neal tonight."

"And how does Daddy feel?"

Regina smiled. "He's excited. We both are."

"Good. I'm happy for you, Gina. It's about damn time you found your happy ending."

"I agree. I just have to deal with my mother and then we can be free to be a family."

"She will be gone soon. We will make sure of that."

"Thank you, Zane."

"Of course, Your Majesty. I'll leave you with your son. Good luck tonight and let me know if you need anything." Zane nodded his head respectively before leaving the way he came.

Regina waved after him and turned her attention back to Henry, who was leading his horse around the pen. He brought the young horse around to the entrance of the fence and led him back to his stall. She waited for him to finish his routine. After a few minutes, he joined her by the fence.

"Was Lieutenant Zane here?"

"Yes, we just had some quick business to go over."

"Oh." Henry was silent for a moment as they walked back to her car. "Some of the kids at school say your army is here to keep everyone in line. Like if someone misbehaves, one of the soldiers will take them away and they will never be seen again. Is that true?"

"I don't think you or any of your classmates need to worry about them Henry."

"But what if someone is planning something against you? What will happen to them?" He pressed.

Regina paused and knelt down to his level. "Henry, is someone planning to go against me? Is that why you are worried?"

He refused to make eye contact with her. "I didn't say that. I just don't want people to start disappearing. I don't want you to be the Evil Queen again."

"Oh Henry. I'm not going to be her again. I have you and Killian to keep me grounded. You don't have to worry, okay? I just have to pretend to be ruthless so my mother doesn't suspect anything. Nothing with truly happen to anyone in this town if I have a say. And I certainly do. Zane knows better than to listen to anyone's orders other than my own."

"Okay." He said quietly. "When is Cora going to be gone?"

"Hopefully soon. The ingredients for the potion should be ready in a few more weeks."

"Good. We have to make sure the baby is safe when he is born."

Regina nodded happily at her son's protectiveness. "Yes, we do. But how about you help me get ready for dinner with your father tonight?"

"That would be awesome!" He answered. "I'll beat you to the car!"

And he certainly did.

* * *

Hours later, Regina and Henry were sitting on the couch waiting for Neal to arrive. Emma was upstairs rushing to get ready so she could leave before he arrived and Cora had declined Regina's invitation to join them for dinner. They had spent the day cleaning and baking so now they were watching tv. Henry had suggested making pizza, which was cooking in the oven. Regina checked her watch absently as she thought about what Henry said earlier in the morning. He had been worried about what would happen if someone went against her. It made her wonder why he thought about that scenario -unless it was actually happening. There could be some sort of plan to start a revolution. But who would be willing to go up against her?

She stood suddenly to pace. Henry assumed she was nervous to get to know her brother so he didn't comment. She thought it over as she moved across the hardwood floor and rubbed her belly. Snow and Charming were the only two that had ever been brave enough to stand up to her. But surely they wouldn't try to get rid of her with Emma and Henry so close? Perhaps they were desperate to rid the town of Cora and make Emma move back into their loft. If they were in fact planning something, she would have to talk to her soldiers to make sure they knew what they should do in that situation. As the Evil Queen, she had told them to kill anyone who got in her way, but she wasn't that person anymore. She didn't want anymore blood on her hands. She made a mental note to talk to Zane again soon.

Regina's thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell ringing.

"I got it!" Henry yelled as he jumped off the couch and ran to the door.

She smiled as she leaned over to grab the remote and turn off the tv. With one last look around the nearly spotless room, she moved to join Neal and Henry by the door.

"Hey Regina." Neal greeted.

"Hey. How are you?"

"Pretty good!"

"We made pizza for dinner!" Henry supplied.

"Awesome, kid. That sounds good." Neal looked around. "Where is Emma?"

"Unfortunately, she has work to do tonight, so she can't join us." Regina said politely.

"She feels awkward being at dinner with you, so she's going out." Henry answered honestly. Regina gave him a look.

"Henry." She scolded.

Neal smiled. "It's okay. I get it."

The three of them heard a loud bang coming from upstairs and Emma's voice cussing a moment later. Regina covered Henry's ears.

"Why don't we go into the dining room? Would you like anything to drink?" She ushered them into the room.

"Just water, thanks."

Regina nodded and headed into the kitchen. She grabbed a glass and filled it with water before bringing it back to him. They heard Emma rush down the stairs and she popped her head in the room.

"Hey, I'm heading out now. Oh, hi Neal."

"Hey Emma." He responded with a smile.

"Sorry I can't join you for dinner, but have fun." She looked back at Regina. "I'll call you if I'm staying... at work."

Regina smirked as Neal laughed. "Say hi to your mom and Ruby for me."

Emma sputtered. "What? How did you-"

Henry covered his face slowly. Emma gave him a look. "Henry?"

He smiled. "Sorry Emma."

She glared at him for a moment before leaving with a hasty goodbye.

Regina chuckled as she turned back to Neal. Before she could say anything, the oven timer went off.

"I'll get the pizza!" Henry said as he dashed into the kitchen.

"Be careful! Don't forget to use the oven mitts, Henry." Regina warned nervously.

"I know, mom."

"It smells delicious. Henry told me that you are a wonderful cook." Neal leaned back in his chair.

"I've had a long time to practice. It was quite boring in a town that doesn't change for 28 years." Regina gave him a small smile to let him know she was joking.

He laughed. "Yeah, I can only imagine. Henry must have provided a nice break in the pattern for you."

"He certainly did. I've truly enjoyed raising him." Regina looked thoughtful as she looked towards the kitchen.

Neal opened his mouth to ask another question when Henry came in with the pizza tray. He carefully set it on the table and politely served them.

"Thank you, Henry." Regina said with a smile.

"Thanks kid."

Henry nodded to them and put two pieces on his own plate before sitting down. "Have you talked to your dad recently?"

Regina and Neal shared a look. He hadn't addressed his question to either of them, so neither was sure how to respond.

Neal realized that Regina wasn't ready to say anything, so he spoke up. "Not much. A lot has happened between us and sometimes we need time and space to figure it out."

"But wouldn't you want to repair your relationship now? Why waste more time?" Despite his young age, Henry's question made him think.

"It's hard to pretend that nothing is wrong between us, Henry. There has been a lot of hurt in our past."

"Yes, but family should be together. You should forgive him and allow him back into your lives. You are his only kids!"

"As far as we know." Regina muttered.

Henry ignored her. "What about when the baby is born? Gold should be allowed to know his grandchild." He looked surprised at the words that came out of his mouth. He looked guilty and stared at his pizza.

Regina's eyes widened and Neal looked between them. "What baby? Regina? What baby is he talking about?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking at him. "I'm pregnant, Neal. You are going to be an uncle."

He looked stunned. "You are pregnant?"

"Yes." She answered simply.

"I'm sorry mom. I didn't mean to say anything, I just want Gold to have his family back. Maybe he won't be so sad then."

"It's okay, Henry."

"Who is the father?" Neal asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence.

Regina looked away for a moment before returning his gaze. "It doesn't matter. He won't be involved in the baby's life."

Neal gave her a look. "Okay...How far along are you?"

"12 weeks."

"Wow. Uh, congrats."

"Thank you." She replied warmly.

Now that Neal knew she was pregnant, he studied her. He could see she had gained a bit of weight, but she was glowing. "Are you having a girl or boy?"

"I'm not sure. I think it's going to be a girl." Regina rubbed her belly.

Henry made a face. "Maybe it will be a boy. I can teach him how to sword fight like Neal and David are doing for me!"

Regina smiled. "Maybe."

"But if it is a girl, then you can be her knight in shining armor. You will be her big brother, so it's your job to protect her." Neal said with a wink to Regina.

Henry's face lit up. "I will protect her! Or teach my brother to be a prince. I guess it doesn't matter which one you have. Either way, it will be cool to have a younger sibling."

Neal nodded. "Yes, it will." He smiled at Regina, who gave him a happy smile. "This pizza is fantastic."

"Thank you. Now I believe you are supposed to tell us stories about Rumple." She grinned.

He laughed. "That's right."

Dinner passed by quickly with Neal recalling any funny memories he had with his father. Regina shared a few stories of the lighter times she had with her mentor and Henry laughed as he tried to imagine his grandfather doing these things. It was late when Henry started to yawn and Regina realized how late it was.

"It's time for bed, Henry."

"But mom-"

"No, you know the rules. You have school tomorrow. You should get a good night's rest."

Henry gave her a sad look, but it was clear he was fighting to stay awake. "Fine. Bye Neal."

"Bye kid."

"Night, mom."

"Good night, Henry." Regina replied. They watched as Henry headed to his bedroom. Neal turned to watch Regina, as she wasn't paying attention to him.

"Is the father sure he doesn't want to be in the child's life? He might regret it later on. I truly regret not being a part of Henry's life, even if I didn't know. I don't want anyone else to feel that way. Do you want me to talk to him?

Regina looked back at him. "I appreciate that, but it's safer for him to stay away, Neal. If he doesn't want to be involved, he doesn't have to be."

"Safer? What does that mean?"

"With my parents, you never know how they are going to react."

"You think they will kill him?"

She shrugged.

"You know you can trust me, right?" Neal leaned closer to her and gave a reassuring smile.

She looked confused. "I know. But there is nothing to trust you with."

He watched as she nervously played with her necklace. "You don't have to tell me who he is. He better treat you and my niece or nephew right or I'll kick his ass myself."

Regina laughed. "You don't have to worry about that. He is wonderful. Is it that obvious that he is in the picture? If my mother finds out-"

Neal shook his head. "No. I'm just very good at reading people. I have had a couple hundred years of practice after all." They shared an amused smile.

They both heard the front door open and turned to see who it was. When the visitor made no move to introduce themselves, Regina called out. "Mother?"

"No, it's Emma."

"Emma? I thought you were going out with Mary Margaret and Ruby."

"I did. But they were getting on my nerves." Emma slid off her jacket and joined them in the dining room. She gave Neal a small smile.

Regina gave her a knowing look. "I'm guessing they were questioning you about me and trying to convince you and Henry to move back home. " At Emma's nod, she thought about Henry's words again. "I think they are planning an uprising of some sort."

The blonde looked stunned. "They can't. Not with-" She glanced at Regina's stomach.

"You have to tell them that you are pregnant. They won't harm you if they know." Neal continued. Emma looked surprised so he shot her a smile.

Regina looked thoughtful again. "I didn't want the whole town to know yet, but I suppose it's necessary if I want to stop whatever they are planning. I should tell Gold before he finds out through someone else." She sighed.

"Should we call him over?" Emma asked.

She shook her head. "Not yet. There is something I wanted to discuss with the two of you. Henry's birthday is coming up and he wanted to go to Disney World."

"Disney World?" Neal asked curiously. "That sounds like fun."

Emma didn't look so convinced, but she nodded. "If that's what the kid really wants..."

Regina smiled. "I can plan everything and let you know."

"Great." Neal checked his watch. "I shouldn't overstay my welcome any longer. Make sure you call papa soon, okay?"

She gave him a look. "Okay." They both stood and Neal gave her a hug. He waved goodbye to Emma and Regina walked him to the door.

Emma started to clean the dishes off the table and bring them into the kitchen. Regina joined her after a moment. They were both silent as they washed the dishes.

"You should go see him now."

"It's late." The brunette said with a glance to the kitchen clock.

"It's Gold. He is probably cooking up some crazy new potion. I don't think that man sleeps."

Regina laughed. "I don't think so either. I suppose I should go."

"Yeah, you should. I'll finish up here. And if you plan on telling him who the father is, get it on tape for me. I'd love to see that man freak out for once."

She grinned. "Me too. Thank you, Miss Swan."

Emma nodded and gestured for her to move. Regina rolled her eyes and grabbed her jacket. She opted to walk to her former mentor's house, hoping the fresh air would clear her mind and help her figure out what to say. Her relationship with Gold was more twisted than ever and she was unsure of how to act around him. For so many years she allowed herself to be used for his benefit and so she hated him. Now that she knew he was her father, she found it difficult to let the past go. She couldn't help but stay angry with him even though she knew she should move on. It was simply too hard to forget.

It seemed as if the walk only took a few seconds. She stood on his doorstep and took a few deep breaths before knocking loudly. Lights flickered on the second floor and the mayor waited patiently. After a minute or so, a tired looking Belle answered the door. Regina blinked in surprise. It hasn't occurred to her that her father's girlfriend would answer.

Belle looked just as surprised. "Regina? What are you doing here?"

"May I speak to Gold please?"

"Belle? Who is it?" The older man's voice echoed through the hall.

"It's your daughter." She replied uneasily.

Gold appeared in the doorway a moment later. "Regina? Please, come in."

She and Belle followed him into the living room, where they sat on opposite sides of the room. Gold looked between them and chose to remain standing. "Is everything alright?"

Regina nodded. "I just needed to talk to you before things got out of hand. Or more accurately, I need to tell you something." She glanced nervously at Belle for a moment.

Gold caught her glance and turned to his love. "Belle, would you mind making tea?"

She looked slightly irked at being asked to leave, but she listened anyways.

He turned his attention back to his daughter. His beautiful, powerful daughter. "What is it, dearie?"

Regina took a deep breath and seeing no other way, spit out her news. "I'm pregnant."

Gold froze. Regina gave him an uncomfortable smile. She cleared her throat and continued nervously. "You are going to be a grandfather. Again, I guess. I mean, I know our relationship is a mess, but I thought you should know. The whole town will know the second I tell Snow, but I wanted to talk to you first." She caught herself rambling and stopped.

"You.. I'm going to be a grandfather?" Deep down Gold knew that Henry was his grandchild, but this seemed completely different. He would get to know his grandchild from birth as family.

Regina nodded quickly.

A grin spread across the former imp's face. "That is wonderful news. Are you going to have a boy or girl?"

"It will be a surprise."

Gold nodded before realization crossed his face. "That's how you doubled your power, isn't it? Pregnancy always increases magic in a sorceress. I can't believe I didn't see that earlier."

She smiled at his look of surprise. As the Dark One, he had known everything that was going to happen, so he was never surprised. Except, of course, when she kidnapped Belle.

Speaking of Belle, the woman finished making tea and brought it to them on a serving platter. She handed a cup to each of them and kept the chipped one for herself. "What kind of trouble are you pulling Rumple into this time?" she asked coldly.

Regina held back a sarcastic laugh as Gold gave her a questioning look. She shrugged.

"Belle, I'm going to be a grandfather again."

The brunette librarian looked stunned. She turned to Regina. "You are pregnant?" When Regina nodded, she set her cup on the table and stood. "Well I certainly hope that child doesn't inherit it's decision making abilities from either of you."

Both Regina and Gold looked stunned at Belle's cold words. She turned and left abruptly.

"Belle?" Gold tried, but she didn't answer. He turned to face Regina. "I'm sorry, dearie. Excuse me for a moment."

Regina nodded. She waited silently for his return before remembering to text Zane about the protocol for any attack against her. She made sure he knew exactly what to do in case telling the Charmings about her pregnancy did not stop them from trying to get rid of her and Cora.

Gold returned to the room a few minutes later and sat across from her. "I apologize. Belle is... not happy that I have been spending so much time with your mother. Especially with the news that you are my daughter."

"Does she have anything to worry about?" Regina asked curiously.

"What your mother and I had is different from what I have with Belle. Your mother brings out the bad in me. I can't go back to the man that I was. I'm trying to be a better man- for you and Bae. Belle helps me be that person and I love her for that. So no, she has nothing to worry about." He smiled.

Regina looked away as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well perhaps you should assure her of that."

"I will. But before you leave, can we talk?"

She looked uncomfortable. "It's late and I just wanted to tell you before you found out another way."

"Regina. Please. I want to apologize. For everything I did to you. In my desperation to get back to my son, I hurt you and I regret that. I'm sorry."

"I'll consider your apology."

"I don't expect you to forgive me, but do you think we can work on starting over? Especially with the baby on the way." He said with a smile. "I'd like to be involved in my grand child's life."

Regina smiled. "We can try."

"Thank you, dearie."

"Do you know why my mother would be talking to Theodora?"

Gold sighed. "She is looking for a way to open up a portal."

"A portal?"

"Yes. She wants to go back to the Enchanted Forest."

Regina shook her head. "Why?"

"I believe that she wants to rule that world instead of this one. Magic is far easier to find there. And if she can open a portal, she can choose who goes through and make it look like an accident when some are left behind."

She closed her eyes. "Like the Charmings, not including Henry. Do you know if they have been successful in figuring out how to open one?"

"I don't believe they have yet. They need more magic than just themselves. But your mother is clever. If anyone can do this, it would be her."

Regina opened her eyes again. "Lovely. We need to get rid of her and soon. How much longer for the potion?"

"A few months. I doubt your mother will be able to open a portal in that time. You should be safe."

"Good." She smiled and stood. "Let me know when it is finished."

"Okay. Regina? I'd like to take you and your brother out for dinner sometime soon." Gold stood with her and walked to the front door.

She nodded. "Let me know when."

He smiled and opened the door for her. She walked home quickly, thinking about the events of her day. Her relationships with Henry, Gold, and Neal were slowly improving and she felt good about that.

* * *

The next day, Regina dropped Henry off at school and made her way to Mary Margaret's apartment. She was a few blocks away from her destination when she heard the sounds of a large crowd gathering. She paused to listen and realized they were nearby, but she was unsure why they would be gathering. Unless...

She quickly texted Zane the address and stepped closer to one of the buildings. It would be easy for her to slip through the alley to get to the crowd. However, she couldn't understand what they were saying and she figured stepping out in the middle of a hostile crowd was not a good idea. She continued down the street, intent on seeing the crowd from further away so she could assess the situation. Once she reached the end of the street, she turned to step on the next street. From here, she could see the angry mob. They even had pitchforks and torches.

'How medieval' She thought as she stealthily moved closer. It was still unclear who was running the mob, though she recognised most of the town people. She was about to step out to dismantle the crowd when she felt a hand come over her mouth. She was pulled back into one of the small alleyways.

"Shh, love. It's just me." The thick accent was familiar and she stopped struggling.

He slowly allowed her to face him, but he held onto her shoulders.

"Killian? What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to make sure you don't get yourself killed! What were you thinking? That mob is out for your blood and you were just going to walk into the middle of it?"

"I would have been fine." Regina brushed his concern off easily, although he didn't look convinced. "I have magic. How did you know they were gathering?"

"I saw it from the rooftops. I was watching them when I saw you move closer and then go to step out." Killian gave her an irritated look.

She ignored him. "What do they want? Could you hear what they were saying?"

"They wanted you and your mother gone." His look of irritation turned to one of fear. "Which is why I couldn't let you go near them, love. They would have killed you without a second thought."

Regina realized the pain her actions caused him so she pulled him closer and rested her head on his chest. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

"You can't do things like that anymore, Regina. I can't lose you or the baby." He held her tightly.

"I'm sorry." She repeated. "I'll be more careful."

Killian opened his mouth to respond when they heard the shouts of her soldiers breaking up the crowd. There seemed to be some fighting before they clearly heard Zane asking who was in charge. After a moment of silence, he told them they were all going to pay for their crimes against the mayor. Killian looked at Regina.

"Pay how?"

"They are going to spend some time in a little jail in the forest. It will look like they disappeared so that way my mother is happy and people are afraid to step out of line. But they will be fine. Once Cora is gone, I will let them go. As long as they promise not to do anything like that again, of course."

"Good."

Regina's phone rang so she answered. She had a brief conversation before hanging up and turning to Killian. "It was Whale that started the mob. Zane is bringing them to to the jail now."

"Whale? He is the doctor, right?"

She nodded. "He's been a pain since the curse broke. It doesn't surprise me that he was trying to stir things up." She sighed and leaned against the wall.

He leaned next to her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Gold said my mother is trying to open a portal. That's why she has been around Theodora so much."

"Why would she want to open a portal?"

"To go back to the Enchanted Forest. She is planning on bringing back certain people."

"Which means you, but certainly not me." He sighed. "She won't be able to open one."

Regina turned to him. "Are you sure? My mother is incredibly powerful. She can do anything she wants. She has never failed to get everything she wants and if she wants to open a portal-"

Killian cut her off with a kiss. "I won't let her, okay? I won't let her get her hands on you. Don't worry, love."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "I love you."

"I love you too. Even when you are making stupid decisions and putting yourself in danger." He teased. "One would figure a pirate would be the troublemaker in the relationship, but it seems I'm pretty evenly matched with you."

Regina laughed. "Get used to it, dear."

"I intend to." He kissed her before letting her go. "Move in with me."

"What?"

"You heard me, love."

"But what about my mother?"

"I don't care."

"Killian." She said with a small smile. "I can't just move in with you. My mother will go after you and I have Henry. I can't leave him with her."

"He can move in with us too."

Regina laughed. "How about we talk about this when my mother is gone?"

Killian sighed. "Fine. If you insist. You should go before someone realizes you are gone. Just be careful. And stay away from crowds."

"Alright. I'll see you soon." With a final kiss, she turned to leave.


	27. Chapter 27

this takes place a few months later... regina is six months pregnant now. let me know what you think! :)

* * *

"She can't love you, Regina. She has no heart. She will never be able to love your child as you want her to. You have to get rid of her before she hurts someone else." Snow sat in Granny's before her stepmother.

The mayor was wearing a tight dress emphasizing her pregnancy. She placed her hand on her stomach and smiled slightly as she felt her baby kick. She focused on Mary Margaret's face. "My relationship with my mother is none of your business. I won't harm her."

"Regina. You have three more months until your baby is born. Do you want that woman in your child's life? Aren't you afraid that she will hurt him or her? Why not do something now? Do what is right for your child and for Henry." Mary Margaret pushed.

"You don't think I'm trying? Every day, I am trying to keep them safe from her."

The younger woman looked around before seeming to come to a realization. "Find her heart and return it to her. Then she can love you again. She won't harm any one of she remembers how to love."

Regina nodded slowly. "Thank you." She said softly before she left the dinner.

She walked to her family mausoleum, where she pushed her father's coffin aside. She hurried below and sighed in relief when she saw her mother's things where she had left them. It took her only a moment to find the box containing her mother's heart. She noted the lack of dark spots on the glowing organ. Perhaps Snow was right. Her heart seemed pure so maybe it was possible for her to be the woman she was long before Regina's birth. She grabbed her phone and called Killian.

After a few short rings, he answered. "Hello, love. Missed me already?"

Regina smiled. "I need you to meet me at the manor."

"The manor? Is everything alright?"

"I think I figured out how to deal with my mother."

* * *

Killian cautiously knocked on the front door. Regina opened it a moment later. She pulled him inside and into the living room, where her mother was waiting with Gold.

Cora stood when she saw him, an expression of anger crossing her face. "What is he doing here? I thought you wanted to talk."

Gold looked uncomfortable, but he didn't say anything. Regina pushed Killian to sit.

"Mother, you loved Rumple at one point, right?" She asked.

The former imp looked at her, curious to know the answer.

Cora stared at her daughter. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Please just answer." She begged.

"I'd like to know the answer to that question as well, Cora." Gold spoke up.

She turned to face him. "Of course I loved you. You were the only man I ever loved."

"But you took out your heart. You chose power over me, over your own daughter." He stood and moved closer to her. "We could have been happy together. As a family, Cora."

"But I would have been powerless!" She sneered.

"Unlike what your father-in-law believed, love is not weakness. We would have been powerful together."

Cora gasped as Regina finally made her move. She pushed her mother's heart back into her chest and stood back. Cora gasped and turned to truly look at her daughter for the first time.

A look of fear was on Regina's face. "Mother?" She asked hesitantly.

Tears formed in Cora's eyes as she smiled happily. "Regina."

Regina smiled and moved to hug her. She savored the feeling of the warm embrace. Cora pulled away to look at her daughter.

"Regina. My beautiful, beautiful girl." She said as tears began running down her face. Her smile faded after a moment. "I'm so sorry for everything, my love. For killing Daniel and forcing you to marry the King."

The younger brunette shook her head to indicate that she didn't want to talk about it just yet.

Cora let go of her and turned to Gold. Killian moved to pull Regina into his arms. He rubbed her back as she cried happily.

"Rumple." She said softly. "I'm so sorry. You would have been enough for me. Both of you would."

He smiled and hugged her. They turned to look at their daughter. Realization crossed her face as she finally understood why the pirate was present. Gold looked angry as he realized as well. Killian held into Regina tightly.

"He is the father, isn't he? Of all of the people, you are having a baby with my biggest enemy?" He asked angrily.

Regina grinned as she looked up to Killian, who was trying not to laugh. "Yes, he is the father."

"You did this on purpose. You targeted my daughter to get back at me. You will pay for this." He threatened as he moved closer.

Regina stepped in front of him. "Rumple-"

"No. He doesn't love you, Regina. He is just using you to further his revenge. I won't let him hurt you."

"Rumple, stop." Cora said. She put a hand on his arm and stepped past him to study Killian. Regina nervously watched her as she maintained her spot in front of him.

"Thank you, Captain Hook. I can see that you do love my daughter and you make her very happy. I most certainly approve." She continued with a tearful smile.

Gold looked between Cora and Hook before sitting down and putting his head in his hands. "My daughter is having the baby of my biggest enemy." He muttered to himself.

Regina smiled at his reaction as she embraced her. "Thank you, mother."

"Of course, dear. This is what I have always wanted, for you to be happy. I realize now that I have gone about it the wrong way. I'm glad you have managed to create your own happiness with Hook anyways."

Killian smiled as he pulled Regina closer and kissed the top of her head. She returned his smile and wrapped one arm around him. She placed her other hand on her stomach.

"Wait like that just a moment." Cora held her hand up and disappeared. She returned with Regina's camera. "I'm not quite sure how you use this..."

Gold stood abruptly and quickly snapped the picture before handing the camera back to Cora. She smiled. "Perfect."

He still looked unhappy. "Perhaps I should go now."

"I will go with you. I think it is time for me to move out. Could you help me find a place nearby, dear?"

"Mother, you don't have to move out." Regina said.

"Of course I do, dear. Hook should move in so you can be together. I have overstayed my welcome. I'll be back later, alright? I love you, Regina." Cora gave her a hug. She gave a surprised Killian a hug as well.

"I love you too." Regina walked her and Gold to the door. She stopped her father from leaving for a moment. "I hope your grandchild's paternity does not affect how you feel about him or her. Regardless of your past with Killian, I do love him. And I know without a doubt that he loves me as well. We are having a family together and I would like you to be part of it."

He sighed. The two of them had finally gotten to a good place in the past few months and he didn't want to throw that away because of an old feud. He nodded. "I would like that too."

"Thank you." She said with a smile. She hugged him before he left.

Regina turned to Killian and wrapped her arms around his waist. He shook his head, still shocked at all that had happened. "How did you know putting her heart back in was going to work?"

She shrugged. "Snow said she couldn't love me or Apple without her heart, so I thought I would at least try. I'm so happy it worked."

He nodded. "Me too, love. Perhaps things can start to get normal now. Without worrying about your parents, we can focus on us and the baby. Finally."

Regina matched his grin. "Yes. I think now is a good time for you to move in."

He laughed. "What, my ship isn't good enough to raise a child on?" She gave him a look and he winked to let her know he was kidding. "I'll move in whenever you'd like."

She looked up at him. "Let's do it now. I'm ready to truly start our life together."

"Well, in that case..." Killian let go of her and took a step back as he grabbed something out of his pocket. He knelt down before her with a smile. "Regina Mills, will you marry me?"

Regina brought her hands to her face in surprise before nodding. "Absolutely." She said with a big smile.

Killian slipped the ring on her finger and stood to kiss her. She wrapped her fingers in his hair in an attempt to pull him closer. "I love you." She whispered against his lips.

He grinned and twirled her as she laughed. "I love you too." He moved to kiss her again when the front door opened. She glanced behind him to see who it was.

Henry joined them in the living room. Emma wasn't far behind him. The boy smiled as he saw them together. "Hi mom! Hi Captain!"

"I told you to call me Killian, lad." The pirate said with a smile.

Regina moved to give her son a hug.

"Um Neal is right-" Emma was interrupted as Neal entered the room. His smile disappeared when he saw Killian, but he glanced at Regina with a faint smile. He gave her a hug.

"Hey sis. What are you up to?" He glanced suspiciously at Killian.

She gave him a bright smile. "I returned my mother's heart. She is most certainly... different. She left just a few minutes ago with Rumple."

"She's different how?" Emma asked curiously.

Regina struggled with describing the change in her mother so Killian interrupted her. "She has a heart. She can love and she isn't so... power hungry." He said carefully.

"So she's... like a regular mom?" Emma glanced at Regina.

Killian nodded. "Basically."

"That's wonderful." Neal said to his sister. He turned to Killian. "But that doesn't explain why you are here. Everyone knows that both Cora and my papa want you dead. Why would you show up just in time for Regina to return her mother's heart?"

Regina shared a look with Killian before grabbing her brother's hand and leading him to sit at the couch with her. She glanced at Henry, who smiled. Emma moved to take him out of the room, but she shook her head. Killian moved to sit on the armrest behind her and put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. Neal glared at him as Regina squeezed his hands. "Neal, Killian is here because we are together."

"No. You're lying." He said angrily.

She gave him a small smile. "Yes, we are." She reached up to cover Killian's hand with her own.

"He is the father of your baby?" Neal asked slowly.

She nodded and looked at her son. "And my fiancé."

Henry's eyes lit up. "You finally asked?" He high fived Killian.

Regina looked between them. "What do you mean 'finally asked'? You knew?"

Henry nodded happily. "Well of course. He couldn't ask your dad for permission, so he asked me instead."

She gave Killian a surprised look. He winked at her as he pulled Henry into a hug.

Emma didn't look shocked either. "I'm surprised the kid didn't blow your surprise." She stood to give Regina a hug. "Congrats. I'm really happy for you."

Regina smiled in thanks. Emma stepped back to let Neal react. He finally stood to face his sister.

"You are going to marry him?" He asked calmly.

She nodded and kept her voice soft as she answered. "Yes. I am." She laced her fingers through Killian's.

He shook his head and faced Killian. "There is no way I'm letting the man who stole my mom steal my little sister too."

Regina moved to respond, but Killian squeezed her hand and spoke up. "Baelfire, I love Regina. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and our child. I know I messed up with you and your mother, but I promise I will never allow anything to happen to Regina."

"I don't trust you to not break her heart. You're a pirate, all you care about is women. So maybe Regina is your current lady, but what about when you see someone else that you like? Are you just going to leave her? And you can't just get rid of your child if they don't do what you want." He said, bringing back memories of their short time on the Jolly Roger together.

Killian looked down shamefully as he remembered what he did to the young boy he had once wanted to adopt as his own child. "Regina is my True Love. I won't leave her. Not now and not ever." He said as he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Neal shook his head. "If you hurt my sister or my niece or nephew, I will not hesitate to kill you. Do you understand me?"

"I'm not going to hurt them."

"Do you understand me?" Neal repeated.

"Dad." Henry interrupted. "Captain... Killian loves my mom. I know he won't do anything to hurt her. He's been protecting her from Cora. You guys should forget about the past and move on. You both love my mom. Why can't you focus on that?"

Emma smiled brightly at her son. "He's right. All these feuds are unnecessary. It's time for everyone to move on."

Killian and Neal continued to stare at each other before Regina stepped between them. "They are right. It's time for us to move on. All of us. I want this little boy or girl to be able to know her family without any awkwardness."

Killian took a deep breath before nodding. "Alright." He held out his hand for Neal to shake.

The younger man studied him before shaking his hand. "I guess I should welcome you to the family. I have to warn you, it's a bit complicated."

He laughed. "Yes, I'm beginning to see that."

Regina wrapped her arm around his waist and leaned into him. She gave Neal a happy smile. "Do you want to stay for dinner?"

Neal hesitated, then nodded. "Sure."

Henry grinned and grabbed Emma and Neal's hands to pull them into the dining room. Killian kissed Regina's cheek.

"I believe this is the beginning of the awkward family dinners."

"You better get used to them, babe." Regina said as she admired her ring. He laughed before leaning in to kiss her.

"Moooooom! What are we having for dinner?" Henry yelled from the other room.

"And you'll have to get used to that too." She said with a smile. She gave him a quick kiss before heading into the kitchen.

Killian shook his head and followed his fiancé into the kitchen.


	28. Chapter 28

Henry was nearly bouncing with excitement. He moved around restlessly until Regina told him to relax. She sat next to Killian as he felt the baby kick. She watched the smile on his face grow as he quietly talked to the baby. Neal and Emma sat across from them, talking about his time in Neverland. They were all waiting for their plane to take them to Florida. Henry had been delighted to learn that they were going to Disney for his birthday and the excitement had still not worn off. He raced around the house for the entire week as they prepared for the trip. Everyone else was tired, but excited to bring Henry to "the happiest place on Earth".

They boarded the plane and found their seats. Killian and Regina had never flown before, so they were a bit nervous. Henry sat with Emma and Neal across from his other mom and soon-to-be stepfather. He grinned at his nervous mother as they settled down and prepared for their flight.

The attendant showed them the safety precautions and the Captain explained that they were ready to take off.

Regina grabbed her fianceé's hand as the plane started moving. Henry, along with the other kids on the plane, clapped as they took off. Regina and Killian both sighed in relief as the plane evened out. Only three more hours to go.

* * *

The hotel was much bigger than any of them expected. Killian stood back and looked up in surprise. Emma moved to stand next to him as Neal tried to stop Henry from disappearing into the crowd in the lobby and Regina checked them in.

"I'm assuming the Enchanted Forest doesn't have buildings like this?" She said.

"You'd be assuming correctly." He said, still in awe.

"Just wait till you see the parks. And the amount of people. It's pretty crazy." Emma said before leading into the lobby. They stood out of the way as they waited.

Regina joined them a moment later and handed Emma a key. "Our rooms are on the second floor and they are adjoining. But there is a slight problem."

"Oh great. What is it?" She questioned.

"They only gave us two rooms instead of three. So you and Neal will have to share a room. But there are two beds." Regina said with a nervous smile.

"Lovely. I guess we can manage it. Maybe another room will open up later." Emma said before looking around for Neal. Once she spotted him, she waved him over. He returned to their group with Henry a moment later.

"Can we go to our rooms now?" Henry asked.

Regina nodded. Henry grinned happily and pulled Emma towards the elevators. Neal followed closely behind as Killian gave Regina a look. "You did that on purpose."

"I don't know what you are talking about." She responded coyly.

He shook his head as he followed her. "Forcing them to spend the week together isn't going to convince them to move on from their past and start over again."

"I'm not so sure. I think Emma needs to realize that she still loves him. And she can't do that if she keeps avoiding him. If they are stuck in a small hotel room together, they will be forced to talk things through."

"They can't talk if Henry is there, love."

She gave him a knowing look. "Of course not. Which is why he is staying with us every other night. Don't worry, I've thought of everything, dear."

"Regina Mills, matchmaker extraordinaire." He whispered as they joined Emma, Neal and Henry in the elevator.

Her only response was to wink at him.

* * *

Henry decided that he wanted to go to Magic Kingdom first. Armed with the map of the park he had gotten from the hotel lobby and his park pass, he was first to step off the bus. He had spent the whole ride explaining to everyone which rides they were going on first. Emma had rolled her eyes as Neal had pointed out other rides Henry had forgotten to include.

After they all scanned their passes in and entered the park, Henry's eyes lit up. "Wow." He breathed. "This is Main Street. It leads to Cinderella's castle."

Killian looked around in wonder. He gave his fiancé a smile as she leaned into him. She had spent a while planning the trip and looking up everything, so she wasn't completely shocked at the sight before them.

"C'mon, I want to go on Space Mountain!" Henry said as he raced forward.

"Henry!" Emma and Regina called in sync.

He stopped and slowly turned to face them. "Sorry. But could you at least hurry?" He gave them a sheepish smile.

His mothers grinned and Neal wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Lead the way, kid."

Regina laced her fingers through Killian's as they moved through the crowd to the spaced themed roller coaster. Once they got there, Henry turned to face them. "So, who is going on with me?"

"Certainly not me, kid." Emma said.

Henry gave her a look. "C'mon. Don't be such a wimp!"

Emma raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms across her chest. "It's not happening."

Neal grinned. "Well I'm no wimp. I'll go with you."

Henry smiled. "Cool. Captain? Are you coming?"

He glanced at Regina, who shrugged. "Go ahead, sweetheart."

"What exactly does this 'roller coaster' do?"

Henry gave him a mischievous smile. "You'll see." He said as he pulled him and Neal into the line.

"I wish I could see the expression on his face when he realizes what is going to happen." Regina commented as she and Emma moved to sit down nearby.

Emma laughed. "Me too. He has no clue."

"No, he does not."

They watched as the line moved relatively quickly. It didn't take long for the three boys to disappear into the building. Regina watched the people around them as she rested her hands on her belly.

"So how is your mom doing?" Emma asked a few minutes later.

"She's okay. It's weird adjusting to her being so... loving."

"I can only imagine. She left town, right?"

Regina gave her a surprised look.

Emma shrugged. "It's a small town. News travels fast."

"Right. Yes, she did. She said she needed to figure some things out. I think she means she has to remember how to live with her heart. How to live without allowing her feelings to rule."

"That makes sense. How does Jones feel about all that? I mean both of your parents hated him."

She grinned. "He feels uncomfortable around my mother. I think before she didn't bother him because he was used to her plotting things. Now, she keeps reminding him that if he hurts me, he will regret it. Obviously, he realizes that she isn't bluffing. And my father just avoids him."

"So Gold..."

"Will see me, but not him. He isn't ready to talk about him either."

"Wow. That's quite complicated. I think Neal seems to be doing pretty well with him though." Emma observed.

"I think he has realized that Killian isn't the same man that gave him up in Neverland. Thankfully, he seems to be trying to get to know him better. And Killian is allowing Neal to do that at his own pace." Regina said.

"That's good."

"Yes, it is." She said as Henry raced over to them.

" .awesome." He exclaimed.

Neal and Killian followed behind slowly, each of their faces a pale white.

Emma covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing as she saw them. Regina grinned as she stood to meet her fianceé. "How was it, dear?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure if I even want to talk about it."

Neal nodded in agreement. "Can we do the teacups or something next? I think I need some time to recover before I go on another roller coaster."

"It was so cool! We did all these fast turns and went upside down and it felt like you were in space 'cause of all the stars!" Henry continued, oblivious to his father and Killian's weary faces as they recalled the ride.

Regina laughed as she watched them. "That sounds pretty cool, Henry. Why don't you go on the Lilo and Stitch ride next?" She glanced up at Neal and Killian. "It's not a roller coaster, I assure you."

They both sighed in relief as the four of them followed Henry.

Killian hung back with Regina as they neared the entrance of the building. He waved for the others to go ahead. "I'm going to stay back here this time."

"Scared, dear?" She asked teasingly.

"Of course not." He denied. "I just wanted to spend some time with you." He said as he leaned forward to kiss her.

She smiled as he placed his hands on her waist. "Mhmhm. I'm sure."

He brushed her hair out of her face. "Are you sure you are up to doing this?"

"I'm fine, Killian."

"And you will tell me if you get too tired?"

"I promise." She said honestly.

"Are you sure you are having fun?"

"Just because I can't go on most rides doesn't mean I can't have fun, dear. I'm enjoying watching Henry. He's so happy being here."

"That he is." Killian said. "Perhaps someday we will bring our little one here."

"You know that means you will have to go on all the roller coasters with him or her, right?" She asked with a smile.

He chuckled. "I believe that is the job of a big brother."

Regina laughed. "I agree. And speaking of the big brother, here he comes."

Henry, Emma and Neal joined them a moment later. Henry was laughing at Emma, who was soaked. "Emma got sprayed by Stitch when he escaped! It was so funny!"

Emma sighed dramatically. "At least I didn't scream like a little girl when the air shot behind us." She said with a pointed look at Neal.

He shrugged. "I didn't want Henry to feel bad if he was scared."

"Uh huh." Emma responded doubtfully.

Regina and Killian laughed as Henry gave his father a look and insisted that it wasn't him who was scared. They decided to find a slightly more relaxing ride and walked towards the castle again.

A small girl dressed as Snow White skipped past them and Regina turned to watch her. "Seriously?" She asked darkly.

Killian grinned and grabbed her elbow softly. "Forget about her, love."

"But she's dressed as Snow White." She said with a childish pout.

"I know. But it's nothing to get worked up about."

"Are you saying it wouldn't bother you to see children dressed as someone you hate?" She asked.

"Used to hate. Right?" Emma asked.

Killian ignored her. "No, I don't think it would."

"Alright. Henry, can I see that map?" Regina took it from him to study it. Killian rolled his eyes as she looked up to figure out where they were.

The four of them followed her as she led the way through the park. Emma laughed as they came in a stop in front of a ride.

"Peter Pan's Flight?" Neal read.

Regina gave him an apologetic glance. "I'm sorry, I forgot..."

He shook his head. "It's fine. Let's just go." Neal lead the way to the line and Killian gave Regina a cocky smile as he followed him. She rolled her eyes and allowed Henry to pull her and Emma with him. The ride was short, and Killian was the first one out.

"That was ridiculous. There is no way that boy could ever defeat me. And once again, I look nothing like that!" He said loudly.

Regina laughed as Emma shh'd him. People were giving him odd looks. A little girl was staring at him curiously.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Does that bother you, dear?" Regina said sweetly.

He gave her a look as he took a deep breath. "No, it's fine. It's really not a big deal."

"Well I guess that means you won't mind going on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride?"

Killian hesitated before nodding. "Fine."

"Fine." Regina repeated.

Emma sighed. "I thought we were only taking one child on this trip."

Neal laughed as they headed towards the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Henry was nervously looking back and forth between his mother and future stepfather, who were walking in silence. Emma wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry, kid. They aren't actually mad at each other."

"They aren't?" Henry didn't seem so convinced.

"No. They will be fine. But you have to admit, it is pretty fun. Just wait until your mom sees Disney's version of the Evil Queen." She said with a smile.

Henry returned her smile. "Do you think we could get my mom to take a picture with her? That would be funny."

"That would be funny." Emma agreed. She gave him a mischievous smile. "Let's do it."

The two of them let Neal in on their scheme, and began plotting as they waited in line. However, they did not have enough time to think of a way to get Regina to go anywhere near her Disney counterpart before they were getting on the ride. Killian studied the characters around them as they passed through. Once they stepped out, he shrugged. "It's not completely accurate, but better than that Pan ride. Do I need to go on another ride to prove to you that it doesn't bother me, or is Your Majesty okay now?"

Regina threw him a dirty look and crossed her arms. Killian grinned and pulled her closer. He pressed a light kiss to her forehead as she relaxed and leaned into him.

"You guys could both prove that you are cool by taking a picture with the Evil Queen and Captain Hook." Henry casually suggested.

They both gave him a look and he shrugged. "For my birthday?"

Regina sighed as Killian nodded. "Okay. Where do we find them?" He turned to ask a nearby worker.

Emma and Neal high fived Henry. "Way to go, kid!"

It took a few minutes to locate them, but Henry happily snapped a picture of each of them posing with their counterparts. Regina rolled her eyes at his excitement, but the slight grin on her face gave her true emotions away. "How about we go to the Hall of Presidents now?"

Henry groaned. "She always has to find some kind of educational experience in everything."

"Of course I do, dear. It's what mothers do. But after that, you can go on Splash Mountain." She allowed.

He followed quickly, eager to get the boring out of the way to move on to the more fun stuff. Regina smiled as she felt Killian grab her hand and walk with her. Neal and Emma trailed behind, neither of them particularly excited to get a mini history lesson.

The show was entertaining, they had to admit. Emma wished her history lessons in school had been that animated as Henry begged his mother to magically re-create the presidents to teach his class in Storybrooke. Regina laughed and suggested they stop for lunch.

They found a place that wasn't too busy and ordered food. They talked about everything and nothing for as long as they could before Henry demanded that they go on Splash Mountain now. They rest of the day passed pretty quickly and the five of them returned to the hotel with exhaustion clear in their eyes. Regina leaned against Killian in the elevator and nearly fell asleep on his shoulder. They headed to their rooms and Henry headed inside his room while the adults discussed the plan for the next day. Having settled on a plan, they wished each other a good night and went into their respective rooms.

"Maybe we should only spend half the day at the park tomorrow. Neal and Emma can take care of Henry while we come back here. We can take a nap or go in the pool, or whatever you'd like." Killian suggested as Regina laid on the bed.

"I'm fine, dear. It's just been a long day."

"I know that. But seven really long days is not a good idea when you are six months pregnant. I don't want you to be completely exhausted."

Regina opened her mouth to respond when someone knocked on the door. She sat up as Killian moved to answer it. He opened the door and Henry walked through.

He waved at his mom. "Do you guys want to come down to the pool?"

Regina's mouth gaped open in surprise. Killian shook his head, wondering if he heard the boy right. "Are you kidding?"

"Of course not. There are two really cool pools here! One of them has a slide and a waterfall!" Henry exclaimed.

"But you were nearly asleep on your feet like ten minutes ago." Regina said.

He shrugged. "But now I really want to go to the pool." He looked up and gave Killian his best puppy dog look.

The older man sighed. "Give me a minute to find my swimming clothes."

Regina gave him a look and he shrugged. Henry informed him that he would be waiting in his room before heading back.

"We won't be gone long, love. Do you want me to have Emma or Neal stay in here?"

She shook her head. "No, thanks. I would come with you, but I'm just going to bed. Be careful with him, alright?"

"Of course, love. By the end of this week, he will be able to swim like the best of sailors." He said as he changed quickly.

She grinned as she got up to grab her pajamas. "Perhaps Emma and Neal will take the time to talk while you are out with Henry."

He laughed. "Perhaps."

Henry knocked on the wall impatiently. Regina raised her eyebrows as her mouth twisted into a smile. "You better go."

Killian sighed dramatically. He leaned forward to give her a kiss. "Goodnight, love."

"Goodnight." She responded as she let him go. After he left, she got ready for bed and slid between the sheets. Within minutes, she was in a deep sleep.

* * *

_thoughts? should i continue more of the disney trip or go back to storybrooke? i'm open to ideas (especially what else could happen in disney)!_


	29. Chapter 29

The next day was spent at Epcot. Henry decided pretty quickly that he was bored with the different countries, so they decided to figure out where the best rides for him were.

Neal studied the map he had picked up. "What about Soarin'? It says it's a flight simulator. Sounds pretty cool."

Henry nodded quickly. "That sounds awesome!"

"Yeah, it does." Emma mused. She looked at Killian and Regina. "Are you two going on?"

"I'm more of a land and sea kind of guy." Killian said.

"I've done enough flying in my lifetime." Regina smirked as Emma's mouth dropped open.

"Flying? Like as in-"

"On a broom? Of course, dear. That's how all the sorceresses of our land traveled. What, did you think we used carriages or something?"

"But... I..."

Neal smiled as he shook his head. "C'mon, before Henry takes off." He looked at Regina. "How about we meet in Italy for lunch?"

She nodded. "Sounds good."

Henry pulled his parents away impatiently. As soon as they were out of earshot, Killian turned to Regina. "Flying on a broom?"

She grinned. "It's fun making her squirm. Her limited knowledge of the Enchanted Forest makes it so easy to mess with her."

He shook his head, although he was smiling. "Let's just go to England."

* * *

Two hours had passed and Killian and Regina were waiting for the rest of their little group. They had sat on the steps outside of a nice Italian restaurant. Regina checked her watch for what felt like the hundredth time as Killian studied the crowd passing.

"Where would they be?" She asked nervously.

He shook his head. "No idea, love. But I'm sure they are fine."

"I'm going to call Emma." Regina pulled out her phone and dialed the blonde's number. After a few moments, she heard the voicemail message. She ended the call and sighed in frustration. "She didn't answer."

Killian leaned over to wrap his arm around her shoulders and press a kiss to her temple. "I'm sure they didn't hear the ringtone."

She gave him a grateful smile. "They better be here soon or I'm going to find park security."

He chuckled at her motherly instincts. A few minutes later, Regina stood as she recognized Henry. He ran over to her and she wrapped him in a hug. "What happened to you? I was so worried."

Killian stood as well while Emma sighed. "The line was .long. It was insane. And of course there was no cell phone service in there so I couldn't call you to let you know we might be a bit late."

"Yeah, we waited forever. Apparently Soarin' is a very popular ride." Neal added.

"But it was awesome! It made you feel like you were seriously flying! I could smell the pine trees and feel the ocean and it was so cool. Can we do it again?" Henry asked excitedly.

Regina held back a laugh at Emma's horrified look and Neal's tired face. "Maybe later, Henry. But for now, we should have lunch."

He accepted her answer and led the way into the restaurant. Killian patted Neal on the back. "Don't worry, mate. I'm sure he will forget about going back on."

"Yeah, well it's your turn to wait in the next line. And you will be doing this all over again in a few years." He gestured to Regina.

Killian grinned as he moved to wrap his arm around her shoulders. "I look forward to it."

Regina smiled as he kissed her. Emma waved at them to hurry up as the waiter led her and Henry to a table.

The lunch passed without event. They all enjoyed the wonderful Italian food as they talked about the things they had seen. Henry spent a good amount of time explaining what rides he wanted to go on. After lunch, they decided to go to Test Track.

"What is Test Track?" Killian asked.

"I think you are supposed to be test dummies as they test these cars. You go through three rooms; one hot, one cold, and one that smells weird. Then you go pretty fast." Neal explained.

Killian shrugged. "That doesn't seem so bad."

He and Emma volunteered to go on with Henry while Neal stayed outside with Regina. The two of them sat on a wall nearby as they waited. They watched some of the cars as they passed quickly over the heads of the waiting crowd.

"How have things been with you and Miss Swan?"

Neal turned to study his sister, who was purposely avoiding his gaze to look out across the crowd. "I knew the rooms didn't accidentally get messed up."

"Are you insinuating that I had something to do with it?" Regina looked seriously insulted. But at Neal's raised eyebrows, she cracked a smile. "You didn't answer my question."

"It's okay. I think she's still angry with me for sending her to jail." At Regina's incredulous look he held his hands up. "Which she should be, of course. I just wish we could start over again. Forget all of that. I think if I could remind her of the good times, she might want to try things out again."

Regina nodded in understanding. "Henry doesn't seem to be a huge fan of wandering through the countries, so perhaps once he is done with the rides, Killian and I will take him get something to eat and then go swimming."

Realization crossed his face as he figured out what she was doing. "Thank you."

"Pick somewhere romantic. An adult restaurant without the characters."

"Right, of course."

She gave him a look that suggested she didn't believe that he was planning on going to a character-free restaurant.

He shrugged. "I'll ask the guy at the hotel where we should go."

"Good idea."

They were silent for a few minutes until Regina spoke up. "I'm glad you and Killian have been trying to get along."

Neal looked away. "Yeah, well he isn't quite the same person he was in Neverland. He's... a pretty good guy. And now that I'm sure he loves you, it's a bit easier for me to trust him."

She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sis. Killian realizes that this ride is pretty intense, right?"

"I doubt it." They shared a smile before looking back at the long line.

They talked for around 45 minutes as they waited for Emma, Henry, and Killian to return. Finally, the three of them stumbled out of the building. Emma was the only one that didn't look like she was going to be sick. Regina held back a laugh at Killian's face as Henry came over to them.

"How was it?'

"Horrible. Absolutely horrible. I nearly had a heart attack when we almost crashed into a truck. We barely missed it." Killian responded.

"That was intense." Henry agreed. "We walked through the rooms that had test dummies and machines and stuff before we got on. At the end, you thought you were going to crash into a wall, but at the last second, it opened and we were outside! The wind blew my hair into my eyes, but I could see the screen that said we were going 65 miles an hour! It was so cool."

"Now I know why you didn't want to go on." Killian said to Neal.

Neal grinned as Henry nodded. "Can we go on a more relaxing ride now?"

Emma smiled. "You two are wimps. It wasn't that scary."

Regina laughed as Killian looked offended. "Sure, sweetheart. Why don't we go on the Ellen Degeneres ride? It's supposed to be pretty funny."

Henry nodded and took the map she held out so he could lead them. Regina wrapped her arms around Killian. "Are you alright?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Perhaps from now on I'll ask someone working there how the ride is before I go on."

Regina chuckled as they turned to follow Neal, Emma, and Henry. "Well I overheard someone talking about this ride. Apparently, it teaches you about energy. We don't have to tell Henry that though, since he doesn't want anymore educational lessons. But it's not supposed be anything too traumatic."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, dear."

Killian decided to take her word for it as they neared the building that housed the Ellen Degeneres ride. They waited to be allowed in the theater for the next pre-film and ride. It only took a few minutes, and before long they were watching the film. 45 minutes later, they stood outside the building.

"That was pretty interesting." Regina commented. Emma and Neal nodded in agreement.

"And funny, too. Who is Ellen Degeneres again?" Killian asked.

"She has a talk show. She likes to scare Taylor Swift a lot." Henry explained quickly.

"Who is Taylor Swift?"

Neal shook his head as he grinned. "Henry, is there anything else you want to see while we are here?"

The boy smiled brightly. "Soarin'?"

He groaned as Killian nodded. "Let's go, lad."

Emma checked her watch as they made their way through the crowds of people to the oddly shaped building again. They found themselves standing in front of the Soarin' ride again a few minutes after. Henry looked expectantly at all of them. Emma shook her head.

"Sorry, kid, but I'm not waiting in that line again. I'll stay here with your mom. The guys will go with you though."

Neal gave her a look that sarcastically thanked her for volunteering him. She smirked. Killian shrugged. "As long as it doesn't go fast like Test Track, I'll go with you."

"It doesn't." Henry reassured him as he pulled them to the end of the expansive line.

"Well since we have quite a bit of time to kill what should we do?" Emma asked.

Regina looked around before her eyes settled on a ride that contained boats. "What about Living with the Land?"

Emma gave her a look. "Really? When Henry said you like to find educational lessons in everything I thought he was exaggerating."

Regina rolled her eyes as she rested her hand on her belly. "He was. But that looks interesting. And it's a nice peaceful boat ride. It's perfect for waiting for them to come out."

"Fine." Emma said. They walked over to the ride and got on one of the small boats. The ride was quite interesting and they learned quite a bit about agriculture and fish farming.

"Kind of makes you want to start your own garden, doesn't it?" Regina commented as Emma helped her back onto the platform.

The blonde nodded as they headed back towards the crowded seating area. "Yeah, that was cool." She checked her watch again. "I doubt they will be done for awhile. Want to go find some coffee? Decaf, of course."

Regina nodded and they wandered off. They found a coffee vendor in Canada and each bought an iced coffee. Feeling refreshed, they headed back to Soarin' and sat nearby so they could see the boys when they left the ride. Their timing was nearly perfect; they only had to wait a few minutes for them to come out.

"Of course they had a shorter wait time than earlier when I went." Emma complained as she waved them over.

Killian sat next to his fiancé and put his arm around her shoulder. Neal and Henry sat around Emma.

"Was it better than Test Track?" Emma asked Killian.

"Most certainly. Henry was right, it does make you feel like you were actually flying. It was very 'cool', as he says." He responded.

Henry beamed. He looked at the map again for a moment. "Can we go back to the hotel?"

"Of course, Henry." Regina replied. They gathered their things and headed to the exit of the park. They waited a short time for a water taxi, which quickly brought them back to the hotel. Neal excused himself for a moment when they entered the lobby and Regina smiled knowingly. They went to each of their rooms and as soon as he closed the door, Killian gave her a look. "What did you do this time?"

She laughed. "Neal is going to take Emma out to dinner. He went to ask for recommendations on romantic restaurants."

"Ah, I see. So we should see if Henry wants to head to a different restaurant?"

"Right." She said as there was a knock on the door. She opened it up to see Neal standing on the other side.

"Hey. The guy at the desk suggested we go to San Angel Inn. It's Mexican and apparently it is like a recreated village setting. He said the ambiance is wonderful." He shrugged. "But you'll never guess where it is."

"Epcot?" Regina guessed as she raised her eyebrow.

He nodded. "Yup."

She laughed. "Of course. Well we will take Henry while you suggest that to Emma."

"Where are you guys going to eat?"

"When I checked in, they told me there is this little place downstairs that has burgers and ice cream. I think Henry would like that."

Neal nodded. "Good idea. Well I'm starving, so we should head out."

Killian agreed heartily as they headed into the adjoining room. Regina pulled Emma to the side for a moment. "Would you be alright if Killian and I took Henry to one of the restaurants downstairs?"

Emma looked hurt for just a moment, but Regina wouldn't let herself feel bad about it. If things went well tonight, she might be on her way to forgiving the man she loved-whether she knew it or not. "Uh, yeah sure."

"Thank you." Regina gave her the most charming smile before nodding at Killian, who suggested to Henry that he go get a burger with them. Henry nodded excitedly as he followed them out the door. "Do you think the burgers will be as good as Granny's?"

Regina winked at Neal before she closed the door. She held Killian's hand and pulled Henry to her side. "I think that they just might be better."

"Really?" His eyes lit up as the two adults laughed at the wonder in his voice. They headed to the bottom floor and towards the restaurant called The Fountain. They sat down and glanced at the menu. The service was good, so they got their food rather quickly. Henry gleefully shared which rides he hoped to do and which characters he wanted to meet before they left.

After they were done their meal, he begged to get an ice cream. Regina shook her head as Killian bought them all ice creams despite the fact they just ate. He suggested that they walk around outside to take a look around what the hotel had to offer. Henry asked them questions about the Enchanted Forest and Neverland as they walked and ate their ice cream. Before long, it was dark out and they decided to head to bed. Henry looked into the room he had been staying in and announced that Neal and Emma were still gone.

Regina held her grin, but told him that he could stay with them for the night. They got ready for bed and within minutes, the three of them were fast asleep.

* * *

_so sorry for the long wait! it's a bit difficult to write these characters outside of storybrooke sometimes..._

_i'd like to thank MusicalGirl97 so, so much for help with this chapter! she helped me so much with her amazing knowledge and descriptions of disney. and she informed me that space mountain does not actually go upside down, so my bad for the error. :)_


	30. Chapter 30

_i am so sorry for the long wait for this chapter. it's been a bit hard to write because i feel like their reactions are the same every time and i'm trying to change it. i'm going on vacation next week (without wifi :/) so i'm going to try and update all my stories this week. _

_once again, i'd like to thank the lovely MusicalGirl97 for her help in describing the rides and show for me. :)_

_this is a semi-short chapter, but i hope you enjoy it._

* * *

Henry was up bright and early the next morning. He woke up both Regina and Killian before poking his head into the other room to wake up Emma and Neal as well. As the adults groggily got ready, he waited on balcony and watched the few people wandering outside. Finally, once they were all ready, they headed downstairs to grab breakfast. They went to a buffet style restaurant and filled their plates. Henry was pleased to see that everyone was hurrying to eat so they could get to the park early. They finished their meal quickly and walked to the water taxi station. The boat took them on a short ride to the Hollywood Studios park. The group stared in wonder at Mickey's iconic hat as they went through the lines to get into the park. Henry asked if they could skip the shopping on Maine street and start with The Great Movie Ride. The adults agreed and they headed over to the attraction.

They walked through the building, pausing to study the movie memorabilia every so often. Then they entered a large theater and watched clips of old movies as they moved through the long line. Surprisingly, they soon found themselves sitting down on the ride. Their guide introduced herself and the tour began. Regina loved the musical scenes. Henry loved the gangster scene where their tour was hijacked. He buried his face in Regina's neck during the scene where the alien burst out of the ceiling right above them and the nearby wall. Neal and Killian enjoyed the_ Indiana Jones_ scene when the hijacker tried to steal the jewel and was turned into a skeleton. They laughed as their original tour guide returned. The rest of the ride was interesting, especially when they reached the _Wizard of Oz_ scene. Emma looked delighted at the scene because it had been her favorite childhood movie. They watched a film montage of classic film moments before getting off the ride and going back outside.

They talked over each other as they discussed their favorite parts of the ride.

Neal held his hands up. "Wait, serious question here." When the group became silent and turned to face him, he continued. "Emma and I grew up outside of Storybrooke, so we got all of this world's culture. But have any of you even seen half of those movies?"

Killian shrugged and shook his head.

"Mom and I have seen _Mary Poppins_ and _Indiana Jones._" Henry said. "I haven't seen any of the others."

Regina nodded. "I watched _The Public Enemy_ once when I couldn't sleep."

Neal shook his head. "The three of you need to watch more classics. When we get back to Storybrooke, we are going to have a movie marathon."

"With lots of popcorn?" Henry asked hopefully.

"Of course, kid. You can't watch movies without popcorn. And speaking of movies, we should head to Star Tours. You guys have seen the _Star Wars_ movies, right?"

Regina and Henry nodded as Killian shook his head again. Neal sighed. He spent the walk to the ride explaining the movies to him as best he could with Henry interrupting as Regina and Emma rolled their eyes at their enthusiasm.

"So on this ride you are going on a spacecraft to Endor, which was seen in_ Return of the Jedi._" Neal was saying as they reached the ride.

Regina interrupted them for a moment to tell them she was going to find water while they went on the ride. Emma volunteered to go with her since she didn't care for Star Wars. They found water pretty quickly and sat down on a nearby bench.

"How was dinner last night?" Regina asked her casually.

"It was pretty good. We went to a Mexican restaurant in Epcot. I swear the inside was way bigger than the outside. The ceiling was like a night sky and there was a Mexican village theme. It was really nice."

Regina hummed in response. "And the company?"

Emma shrugged. "Wasn't bad. He wanted to talk."

"So you talked things out. Are you still angry with him?"

"I don't know. I mean, he sent me to jail just because August knew his real name. I don't know if I can forgive him."

"But?" Regina pressed.

"But I want to. I really want to forgive him and forget everything that happened and start over. But I'm afraid that he isn't going to stick around. I don't want to get hurt and I don't want Henry to get hurt either."

"Perhaps you can start from the beginning and take things slowly. Get to know each other again. I'm sure you have changed since you were together. Maybe Neal grew up as well. He seems to want to work things out with you."

"Yeah, I know. That's what he said last night."

"So give it a try?"

Emma gave her a suspicious look. "Why are you so invested in whether or not Neal and I get back together?"

"Well Neal is my brother, so I want him to be happy. And I think I owe you a bit since I did tear you from your parents. Plus Killian makes me so happy so I want others to feel that way." Regina blushed as she admitted the last part.

Emma laughed. "Right. Well I told Neal we could go out for dinner and drinks again soon to talk more."

"Good." Regina answered as Emma rolled her eyes.

She pointed at the exit of the ride. "Is that them?"

The older woman nodded as they stood and moved towards them. Neal and Killian were discussing the ride when they reached them. Henry turned to his moms to eagerly tell them all about the ride.

"That sounds pretty cool." Emma admitted.

"It was!"

"Where should we go next, kid?"

"Tower of Terror!" He said excitedly.

She shrugged and led them towards the large building. Minutes later, they stood in front of the elaborate hotel.

"Wow. What is this ride like?" Killian asked.

"It's based on a tv show. You go through the hotel like the characters did. Then you go in the library to watch a brief movie before you are let out and you head to the basement to get on the elevator, which takes you through the 'twilight zone'. Then the elevator goes up and drops a few times. The number of drops is randomized each time so you never know what the ride is going to be like." Emma explained.

He raised his eyebrows as he looked up at the towers. "I should wait here with my fianceé."

Emma rolled her eyes as Neal chuckled. He patted him on the back. "It's alright, man. We can't all be tough guys."

Killian shot him a look. Henry impatiently pulled Neal towards the line. Emma shrugged and went with them. Regina grinned as she pulled Killian to sit with her. They watched the children taking pictures with a character nearby. Killian listened to the screams coming from the tower.

"I'm quite glad I did not go on that ride."

Regina chuckled. "Right."

"Did you talk to Emma about dinner?"

She nodded. "She's thinking about giving him a second chance. They agreed to talk more over drinks soon."

"That's what Neal told me too. He seems to be quite hopeful about her eventually forgiving him." He watched as a little girl started to cry because her mother wouldn't buy her a stuffed toy of Mickey Mouse. "I told him that as long as he didn't give up, she would. She still loves him but she's afraid of being hurt."

Regina gave him a look. "Did you start reading the psychology books from the library?"

Killian chuckled. "No. Although I was starting to wonder if I was going to go through the whole library before we were able to come out with our relationship. It was very boring avoiding you and your mother in public. I'm afraid there wasn't much to do. But I was reading all of the baby books."

She leaned into his side with a smile. "They are probably a bit outdated. As is everything in that library. I'm afraid it hasn't been updated in 28 years."

"Still, they've been helpful. I believe Belle is slowly working on updating things. She seems to be doing a good job."

"Indeed." Regina looked at her hands. "I think part of the reason my mother left town was because she was afraid of her feelings for Gold. She did admit that we would have been enough."

"You think she still loves him?"

She nodded. "She took her heart out because she loved him so much. That hasn't changed in the years her heart hasn't been in her chest. And if Gold hadn't loved her before, he wouldn't have been so angry with her betrayal and tried to get back at her through me. But Gold is with Belle now."

"I doubt he would cheat on her. He loves her."

"But he loves my mother as well. I've hurt Belle enough and if my putting my mother's heart back hurts her further, I don't know what I would do."

"Relax, love. Your parents may love each other, but they bring out the bad in each other. As much as I hate to admit it, Belle is good for Gold."

"She brings out the light in him. So does Neal."

"So do you." Killian nudged her.

She gave him a small smile before Henry came running over to them.

"Mom, that was so cool! Killian, you should have come on!"

"Maybe next time, lad."

"We dropped four times and look at the picture Neal bought!" Henry pointed at the photo Emma held up. The three of them looked absolutely horrified.

Regina and Killian laughed as they saw it. "You are going to have to frame that when we get home."

Neal nodded in agreement as Emma shook her head.

"How about we go on Rock'n'Roller Coaster?" She suggested as she pointed at the ride behind them. Henry agreed quickly and moved towards the line. Killian gestured for Emma and Neal to go ahead without them. They found another area to sit as they waited for them to go through the long line.

"What does this ride do?" He asked Regina.

She looked at the map. "I guess it's a rock music themed roller coaster."

"Featuring Aerosmith? What's Aerosmith?" He wondered out loud.

Regina chuckled. "They are a rock band, dear."

He frowned, but listened to the music playing from speakers around them. "They play this music?"

She nodded. He shrugged. "It's different from the stuff we used to hear in the Enchanted Forest."

Regina laughed. "Yes, it is." She looked back at the map. "How about doing a show next?"

He leaned over her shoulder to read the paper."Indiana Jones? Like in the Great Movie Ride?"

"Right. This is a show where they show you movie stunting and they even pick some volunteers to join them."

"That sounds interesting. I think Henry would like that."

Regina leaned into him as she continued studying the map. They talked about other rides as they waited. Killian pointed at Neal when he saw him leave the building. He waved him over. Emma and Henry were talking excitedly behind him and they continued to talk as they reached Regina and Killian.

"How was it?" Regina asked.

"It was really cool. They showed this little show where Aerosmith sent a limo for us and it went from 0 to 57 miles per hour in like 3 seconds! Then we went through the ride in the darkness. We went upside down and turned and it was so fun."

"Wow that sounds like quite the start." Killian said. He shook his head.

Regina grinned. "Would you guys like to go to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular show?"

Henry nodded. "Yes!"

"This is the one where they call up volunteers, right?" Neal asked.

"Right." Regina answered.

"We should try to get picked! It would be pretty fun."

Killian laughed. "I'm sure."

"Seriously, let's try."

Emma rolled her eyes as they headed to the show.

-continued-

The pre-show had a loud mouthed cleaning lady named Rosie. She often interacted with the audience before the casting director introduced himself. He asked for volunteers to raise their hands. Neal and Killian both raised theirs as well as many others around them. Henry pouted because he was underage and couldn't be picked. The director picked eleven people before pointing at Neal and Killian to join them on the floor. Regina and Emma shared a look as the guys grinned and high fived. Killian pressed a kiss to Regina's lips before following Neal down the steps.

The director asked a blonde girl to scream like she was falling in a trap door. Henry clamped his hands over his ears as her scream echoed around the area. The director asked someone else to pose like a ninja and he chose Killian to strut like he was on a catwalk. Regina shook her head as they clapped.

"He's not bad. Must be all those years in leather pants." Emma said with a smile.

Regina laughed. "Must be."

Neal was chosen to do an evil laugh. He wasn't very good, but they played a pre-recorded track so it sounded more menacing.

"I think you should teach your brother how to do an evil laugh, mom. He's not very good." Henry said.

Emma nodded in agreement. "The Evil Queen must have a good evil laugh, right?"

"Of course, dear." Regina responded with a wink.

"Can you teach us all later?" Henry asked excitedly.

She chuckled. "If you want me to."

The director looked around the audience before asking for a young volunteer to start the show. Henry bounced up and down, waving his hand obnoxiously. To his delight, the director chose him. Regina opened her mouth to object, but Emma shook her head. Henry bounded down the steps and grabbed the microphone offered to him.

"Lights. Camera. Action." He said before heading back to his seat. He leaned towards his mothers and whispered. "That was so cool."

Regina pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Good job, dear."

"Nice one, kid." Emma agreed.

The_ Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular_ started off with a recreation of the Peruvian temple scene. Dangerous spikes and booby traps were in the way of Indiana getting the golden idol. The audience gasped as it seemed that Indiana was crushed by a large boulder. The set was being deconstructed when he reappeared. The director explained what was going on. A Cairo street scene was set up next. The extras, including Killian and Neal, were brought back out. They were all dressed in robes and turbans like they were in Egypt. One of the volunteers, a man in a bright Hawaiian shirt, was beat up. Another volunteer took part in a really dramatic death scene where they were shot multiple times. Then, the rest of the volunteers participated in the fight scene that broke out. After a series of explosions, Indiana shot at a Jeep filled with explosives, creating a huge explosion that even the audience felt. It was explained that the man in the Hawaiian shirt was planted in the audience, but he was an actual stuntman.

As they waited for Killian and Neal to return their clothing and join them again, they talked about the show. Henry was impressed with all the explosions. Emma and Regina were both surprised at the skill of the actors from the show.

"That fight scene was pretty realistic." Emma pointed out.

"Felt like it too." Neal said as he joined them.

"How did we do?" Killian asked.

"You were great. Forget being a pirate, you should be a model." Emma said jokingly.

Killian gave her a look as Regina laughed. He turned towards the eleven year old next to him. "Henry, you did well at the beginning. That was quite the start to the show."

Henry beamed at his future stepfather's praise. "Thanks, Captain."

He opened his mouth to remind him to call him by his name, but Henry was already on the move. "We should go to Toy Story Mania next!"

They followed him to the exit of the stunt show. Neal gestured for them to follow him towards the ride.

"He knows where he's going, right?" Regina asked.

"I hope so." Emma sighed and joined Neal in front of them. Henry walked between them.

Regina reached for Killian's hand. "I'm glad you and Neal are getting along."

He nodded. "Me too, love. It's nice."

She studied his face as they neared the building of the Toy Story ride. "What are you thinking about?"

"Milah." He responded quietly. "She wanted to go back to get him, so we could be a family. I may have screwed things up with him before, but I think she would be happy with our relationship now."

Regina put her head on his shoulder as they stopped to wait at the end of the long line. "I think she would be. I'm proud of you getting along with Henry, so I'm sure she would be proud of you getting to know her son too."

He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her cheek. "You know how much I love you, right?"

She smiled. "Of course, dear."

Neal turned around. "Uh I guess this ride goes in groups of two." He glanced around the group of five.

"I don't mind waiting out here." Regina said easily.

Killian shook his head. "No, go on ahead. This is one of the few rides you can do here."

"Killian..."

"I don't mind, love. I'll wait with you guys until you get inside the building."

Regina smiled gratefully. The group talked as they moved through the line. It was a popular ride, so they waited quite a while before they loaded onto two different trams. They were given 3D glasses and the ride brought them through five different carnival games. The four of them competed to get the most points by firing at different objects, like plates and balloons. Emma gasped as one of the balloons she hit sprayed water at her. Neal laughed, so she tried to beat his score. She waited to find another water spray. When she hit one next to him, she laughed as he wiped his face. The game ended all too quickly, and Henry ran out to tell Killian his score.

"Well done, my boy." Killian patted him on the back.

Henry grinned before asking his father what his score was. He gloated when he realized that he beat him. Neal shrugged. "Your mother distracted me!"

Emma rolled her eyes. "You still got beat by an eleven year old, Neal."

"Haha!" Henry said proudly.

"It's not nice to gloat, Henry." Regina scolded lightly.

He frowned. "Fine. Can we go back to the hotel now?"

"You don't want to do anymore rides?"

"No. I'd rather eat at the hotel and go swimming."

The adults exchanged looks and shrugs. Regina nodded. "Alright, sweetheart. Let's head back."

They made their way back to the hotel, where they picked a restaurant. It wasn't busy since most of the guests were still at the parks, so they got their food quickly. Henry convinced them to share more stories about their lives, especially if they involved being in other worlds. Regina told them about rescuing her father in Wonderland, although she left out Jefferson's fate. Henry's eyes were wide when she explained that she didn't know her mother was the Queen of Hearts until much later. She admitted that she never would have gone to the colorful world if she had known. Henry asked about Alice, but none of them knew her. Killian shared stories of learning how to sail when he was a young boy. He told them that he was a fantastic sailor from the first time he sailed. Neal snorted in doubt, but Killian swore it was true. Emma shared stories of some of her foster siblings. Neal took her lead, and told them about some of the kids he had lived with. After finishing their meal and letting Henry absorb their stories, they headed back to their rooms to change into bathing suits.

Henry ignored Regina's protests to slow down as he ran through the hallways towards the elevator. Within minutes, the group was sitting poolside and Henry convinced Emma and Neal to jump in with him. Regina smoothed her dress down before sitting on one of the chairs. Killian sat next to her.

"The waterfall in the pool is quite nice. So is the waterslide. It's perfect for the kids. And Neal." He amended when he saw Neal running towards the waterslide.

Regina laughed. "That is perfect for them."

"What is the plan tomorrow?"

"Well it's Henry's birthday, so it's up to him."

"I can't believe he is going to be twelve..."

Regina shook her head. "Neither can I."

She thought about adopting him and all the little things over the years. She certainly couldn't believe how old her little boy was getting. She watched him swim and splash Emma. Years ago, she never would have imagined herself this happy, but here she was. Engaged to the man she loved, pregnant with his child, and mother of a charming twelve year old.

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_reviews make me write faster... :)_


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